


LIBBABY OF CONGRESS. 

Slap.-:.-:- @ws^ lo..-- 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE 



Three Kingdoms, 



THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, THE 
KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE 
FATHER'S KINGDOM. 

— OR — 

tf:e origin, identity, perpetuity 
and ordinances of the 

Visible Kingdom, 



WITH ITS RELATIONS TO THE 



Invisible and Eternal Kingdoms, 



BY Rev. L.'"McWHERTER, B. S. 
Pastor C. P. Church, Union City, Tennessee* ^» ^/o:;"^- 

UNION CITY, TENN. : / 

Our Country Steaai Printing House, 



/ 






Entered according to the act of Congress, ia the year 1883, 

BY L. McWHERTER, 

In the office of the Librarian of Ck)ngre8s, at Washington, D. C. 



The Library 
OF Conor Hss 

^^ ^SHiNGTON 



TO 

REV. A.. B. NlIIvIvER, D. D. LIv. D. 

President of Waynesburg College, 

WAYNESBUEG, PA. 

a man of oomprehensiye thought, mag- 
nanimity of soul and sweet spie- 
ited devotion to young 
ministers striving 
to obtain a liberal education, and for 
years my honored and much lov- 
ed preceptor, is this lit-, 
tle volume, with- 
out consultation, most affection- 
ately dedicated by * 

The Author, 



"The kingdoms ©f this world are become the 
kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. [' 



"In essentials unity. 
In non-essentials liberty, 
In all things charity.*' 



The loveliest scene — the brightest pictur&— 
lost in ultimate and eternal glory. 



PREFACE. 



We have no apology to make for offering this 
little volume to the literary, or christian world. In 
writing it, all truth, with no error, has been our 
prayer, and multum in parvo has been our motto. We 
have made but few references to the original lan- 
guages, because we desire to be fully comprehended 
by all who read our little book. It has been our pur- 
pose to present plain, scriptural truths, in the clearest 
possible light. Therefore, we have analyzed carefully 
the scriptures used, in order to avoid the misapplica- 
tion of God's word, so common in the discussion of 
theological questions, and so well calculated to mis- 
lead the masses. We have made no special effort at 
originality of thought, or dress for thought, but have 
used freely the material brought to our hands 
through the investigation of others ; to all of whom 
we acknowledge our indebtedness. 

Ladened with precious truths, we float this little 
LIFE-BOAT out upou its heavcn-bom mission, with 
deepest solicitude. May it ride triumphantly into the 
haven, at last, with a cargo of happy souls on board. 

Yours, in hope of Heaven, 

L. McWHERTEIU 



The Kingdom of Heaven. 



CHAPTEE I. 

The Oroanization of the Visible Church. 



Heaven in covenant relation with man, in^^the 
organization of tlie visible kingdom; tlie union 
of this visible kingdom with the invisible king- 
dom, under Christ, David's son and God's Son, 
and the final submergence of this dtial^mgdom 
into the glorified kingdom of the Father, is the 
lovliest scene on earth, the brightest picture 
on record and the grandest triumph of ultimate 
and eternal glory. 

The church of God is a wonderful phrase, oc- 
curs but six times in the Bible, and bears with 
it a strange, .but powerful significance. The 
church militant, the church spiritual, and the 
church triumphant, in their three-fold relation- 
ship, constitute, in its broadest and most com- 
prehensive sense, the church of God; a divi- 
sion of which is on this side the Jordan of death, 
while a vast multitude, a grand army, has pass- 
ed over and pitched their tents on the shores 
of Immortality, — One Church and one Owner ! 



2 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, 

One God and Father of us all — of whom the 
whole family (church) in heaven and earth is 
named. We love this ransomed, blood-bought 
church of God. 

''I love thy kingdom, Lord, 

The house of thine abode ; 
The Church our blest Redeemer saved, 

With His own precious blood. 
I love thy church, O God : 

Her walls before thee stand, 
Dear as the apple of thine eye, 

And graven on thy hand." 

The words kingdom and church, as found In 
the Bible, are often synonymous. They are 
used interchangably, with the same shade of 
meaning. By the kingdom of heaven, the in- 
spired writers usually mean the church visible ; 
by the kingdom of God, the church invisible, 
and by the Father's kingdom, the church glori- 
fied. In the kingdom of heaven we have among 
the king's guests, a man without the wedding 
garment, the tares mixed with the wheat ; the 
bad fishes in the same net with the good ; the 
foolish virgins in company with the wise ; the 
unfaithful servants along with the faithful, and 
Judas, "a devil from the beginning," associated 
with the other apostles ; or, in other words, we 
have the self-deceived, hypocrits and genuine 
christians, all mixed and mingled together in 
the church visible. Sad state indeed ! Would 



THE VISIBLE CHUEOH. 3 

to God we could spare our much loved Zion 
the shame and disgrace thus heaped upon her, 
and heaven itself the melting tear of blasted 
hope. 

The visible church is a body of people sepa- 
rated from the world, for God's service, with 
ordinances of divine appointment, and a door 
of entrance by which membership is recogniz- 
ed. This visible church has a visible member- 
ship. This constitutes its visibility. Its mem- 
bership is neither invisible nor spiritual; is not 
composed of the spirits, or souls of mankind, 
but wholly of their bodies. Joining the church 
then does not, as some claim, effect, or change, 
the relation of the soul to God. Church mem- 
bership is no evidence of regeneration. Christ 
said in this connection: The kingdom of heav- 
en is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea 
and gathered of every kind: which when it was 
full, they drew to shore, and set down, and 
gathered the good into vesels, but cast the bad 
away. He also compared the visible church 
to a field containing wheat and tares ; but said. 
Let both grow together until the harvest: and 
in the time of the harvest I will say to the reap- 
ers. Gather ye together first the tares, and bind 
them in bundles to burn them; but gather the 
wheat into my barn. And then added, in inter- 
preting the parable, So shall it be in the end of 



4 DOOR OF ENTRANCE. 

the world. The Son of man shall send forth 
his angels, and they shall gather out of his 
kingdom all things that offend, and them which 
do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace 
of fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of 
teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as 
the sun in the kingdom of their Father — the 
glorified kingdom. ''Therefore is the kingdom 
of heaven likened unto a certain king, which 
would take account of his servants.'^ 

But we say the visible church has a door of 
entrance by which membership is recognized. 
But water baptism is not that door ; spiritual 
baptism is not that door; neither is Christ him- 
self that door. The official representatives, 
who receive individuals into the visible church, 
constitute that door. Through this door only 
can we pass in, and. become hona fide members 
of the visible kingdom. But when and where 
was this visible church organized ? We are all 
agreed that there is a visible organization, or 
compact, called the church of God. We are 
doubtless also agreed, that it is of divine ori- 
gin ; was organized after the creation of man, 
and for man. If the visible church be of di- 
vine origin, and for man, then we claim that it 
must have been brought into existence by, un- 
der, or in persuance of a covenant, entered in- 
to between God and man. Why? Because 



aOD^S COVENANTS, 6 

God deals with men, in a formal way, only 
through covenants. A covenant, properly 
speaking, is simply an agreement, a contract, a 
bargain between two parties. But when one 
party is infinitely superior to the other, as in a 
contract between God and man, then the cove- 
nant assumes the nature of a promise ; some- 
times conditional, and sometimes unconditional, 
as we will see further on. We wish to state 
just here, and would have it remembered, that 
our God is not only a covenant-making, but 
also a covenant-keeping God. For his cove- 
nants are not made to be broken; and his prom- 
ises are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus. 

We will now examine the covenants briefly, 
in search of the origin of the visible church ; 
and see if possible in which of these covenants 
the visible kingdom had its birth. We wish to 
say first however, that God never does anything 
that might as well not be done; nor does he 
leave undone anything that had better be done, 
God makes no mistakes of this kind. Hence, 
we argue that he had a special design, or pur- 
pose, in every covenant he made with man. 
These purposes will be brought to light as we 
proceed to investigate this subject. 

We begin with the first, or Adamio cove- 
nant. *'And the Lord God commanded the 
man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou 



6 ADAMIC COVENANT. 

luayest freely eat : But of the tree of the knowl- 
edge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it ; 
for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou 
Shalt surely die," or, in the original, dying thou 
shalt die. You see at once that there is no ref- 
erence to the organization of a church in this 
covenant. The fact is, Adam was pure and holy, 
and the object of the covenant seemed to be, 
to secure continued obedience upon his part. 
Adam was the representative, under this cove- 
nant, of human nature as a unit, a single thing. 
He broke this covenant and fell; and human 
nature fell with his fall. And so, he rendered 
perfect obedience to his posterity, an impossi- 
bility ; and God never has and never will make 
another covenant with man for that specific 
purpose. 

The Covenant with Noah is the second in 
order. "And God spake unto Noah, and to his 
sons with him, saying. And I, behold, I estab- 
lish my covenant with you, and with your seed 
after you ; and with every living creature that 
is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of 
every beast of the earth with you ; from all that 
go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 
And I will establish my covenant with you; 
neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by 
the waters of a flood; neither shall there any 
more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God 



COVENANT WITH >^OAH, 7 

said. This is the token of the covenant which 
I make between me and you and every living 
creature that is with you, for perpetual genera- 
tions. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it 
shall be for a token of a covenant between me 
and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when 
I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow 
shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remem- 
ber my covenant, which is between me and you 
and every living creature of all flesh ; and the 
waters shall no more become a flood to destroy 
all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; 
and I will look upon it, that I may remember 
the everlasting covenant between God and 
every living creature of all flesh that is upon 
the earth. And God said unto Koah, This is the 
token of the covenant, which I have establish- 
ed between me and all flesh that is upon the 
earth." Still we have no mention of a church. 
The object of this covenant was to secure the 
world against the unnecessary fear of another 
flood. And the token of its fulfillment is the 
bow in the cloud. Beautiful rainbow ! A coro* 
net on the brow of the gathering storm, span- 
ning the blackening heavens with the sun-light 
of hope — an everlasting token of God's glo- 
rious promise to the wide, wide world, that 
there shall be no more flood, but fruitful years 
to bless the earth, while time shall roll her an- 



8 THE LAND COVENANT. 

nals round. Neither will God ever make another 
covenant for this specific purpose. 

The land covenant comes next. "In the 
same day the Lord made a covenant with 
Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this 
land, from the river of Egypt unto the great 
river, the river Euphrates.'' Not the slightest 
reference to the organization of the church as 
yet. The object of this covenant was simply 
to insure Abram though eighty-four years old, 
and childless, that his seed should inherit the 
promised land. Abram, high father, or father of 
one nation, whose seed should be as the dust of 
the earth and as the stars of heaven for mul- 
titude, accepted the promise and died in the 
triumps of a living faith. God remembered his 
covenant, verified his promise, and Abram's 
posterity inherited the promised land. But God 
will never make another covenant for this spe- 
cific purpose. 

The Sinaio covenant is the fifth in regular 
order. "And Moses went up unto God, and 
the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, 
saying. Thus shalt thou say to the house of Ja- 
cob, and tell the children of Israel; ye have 
seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I 
bear you on eagles' wings, and brought you un- 
to myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my 
voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye 



THE LAW COVENANT. 9 

shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all 
people : for all the earth is mine: and ye shall 
be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy 
nation. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write 
thou these words : for after the tennor of these 
words I have made a covenant with thee and 
with Israel. And he was there with the Lord 
forty days and forty nights ; he did neither eat 
bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon 
the tables the words of the covenant, the ten 
commandments.'' This is the substance of the 
law covenant, made at Mount Sinai after Moses 
brought Israel out from that dark night of 
Egyptian bondage. The church was now in ex- 
istence, and called the "congregation of Is- 
rael.'' She had her ordinances, circumcision 
and the Passover, already instituted. She also 
had her elders, and her ministers ; the priests 
with divers laws, and minor ordinances, that 
God had given her. Moses gathered together 
all the elders of the children of Israel, institut- 
ed the holy priesthood and clothed the Lord's 
ministers with garments excellent "for glory 
and for beauty." God speaks of Israel in this 
connection as " My people." And Luke re- 
fers to her, at this period as "the church in the 
wilderness." So the visible church was, at 
this eppoc, beyond all doubt a creature of ex- 
istence. And yet there is not a word said in 



10 THE COVENANT OF PROMISE 

tMs covenant about its organization. Then it 
must have been brought into being somewhere 
between this and the land covenant, for it had 
no existence prior to, nor, was it brought into 
existence under that covenant. It is competent 
to say then, that we may hope to find, yea, that 
we will most certainly find, the origin of this 
visible church in the fourth covenant. 

The Covenant of Promise is the fourth in 
regular order. Here, we claim, is found divine 
authority for, and the actual organization of 
the visible church. And if here, then, with 
due deference to the opinion of others, allow 
me to say, nowhere else ; for there is no ref- 
erence, anywhere in the Bible, to the organi- 
zation, or existence of a new or second visible 
church of God. But this covenant is lengthy 
and we will only give it in substance. "And 
when Abram was ninety years old and nine, 
the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto 
him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, 
and be thou perfect. And I will make my cov- 
enant between me and thee, and will multiply 
thee exceedingly. Behold my covenant is with 
thee, and thou shalt be a father of many na- 
tions. Neither shall thy name any more be 
called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; 
for a father of many nations have I made thee. 
And I will make thee exceeding fruitful ; and 



AN EVERLASTINO COVENANT. 11 

establish my covenant between me and thee 
and thy seed after thee in their generations for 
an everlasting covenant. This is my covenant, 
which ye shall keep ; every man child among 
you shall be circumcised; and it shall be a 
token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 
He that is eight days old shall be circumcised, 
every man child in your generations, he that 
is born in the house, or bought with money of 
any stranger : and my covenant (the sign of my 
covenant) shall be in your flesh for an evertast- 
ing covenant. As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt 
not call her name Sarai, but Sarah : and I will 
bless her and she shall be a mother of nations. 
Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; 
and thou shalt call his name Isaac : and I will 
establish my covenant with him for an ever- 
lasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, 
I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful 
and multiply him exceedingly; but my cove- 
nant will I establish with Isaac.'' In the self- 
same day Abraham, his son and aU the men of 
his house were circumcised^ we are told. 

Now we have found the origin of the visi- 
ble church — the germ of the churchy the 
church in embrio, the miniature church, organ- 
ized in the family of the grand old patriarch,- 
Abraham. This organization occured about 



12 THE EMBBIONIC KINaDOM. 

nineteen hundred years before Clirist. Abram 
higli-fatlier, or father of one nation, is 
now changed to Abraham, high-father of many 
nations ; and Sarai my princess, to Sarah prin- 
cess, or mother of nations. And the little germ 
church, watered with heaven's richest dews, 
began to develop and grow ; the embryonic king- 
dom gradually lengthened her cords and 
strengthened her stakes, as the mighty sweep 
of centuries rolled away into the dim vista of 
by-gone ages, and at length the kingdom of 
heaven came forth, in her conquering glory, a 
mighty host^ "fair as the moon^ clear as the 
sun and terrible as an army with banners.'^ 



CHURCH IDENTITY. 13 

OHAPTEE II. 

The Identity of the Visible Church. 



Our object, in tMs and the next chapter, is 
to identify the visible church under the old and 
new dispensations. For, strange as it may 
seem, some claim that the church is not identi- 
cal under these two dispensations; but that 
the old church died with the old dispensation, 
and that a new church was born with the new 
dispensation, the Bible to the contrary not- 
withstanding. 

To fix the exact date of the organization of 
this would be new church, or to agree as to the 
place of its birth, has given our friends no 
small amount of trouble. Some of them locate 
its, supposed, origin "about the time of John 
the Baptist,'' some, ''during the ministry of 
Christ,'' others, ''on the day of Penticost/' and 
still others, "somewhere along there under a 
new covenant." We submit, if any of these sup- 
positions be true, would not some record of, or 
reference to^ such organization of said new 
church be found in the New Testament? But 
we have no such record, or reference. The in- 
ference is conclusivej if such a church exist, 



14 NEW CHURCH THEORY. 

Christ did not organize it ; nor did he author- 
ize the apostles so to do. 

But still the advocates of this theory claim 
that the Jewish church was dissolved and a 
new church reared upon its ruins. They con- 
tend that the Scriptures clearly teach that this, 
supposed, wonderful revolution in ecclesiasti- 
cal history occured somewhere about the ush- 
ering in of the Christian era. Yet they fail to 
agree as to when, and where, the old church, 
as they called it, breathed its last, and their 
new church first immersed itself in the pureat- 
mostphere of heaven, and threw open wide its 
doors to the children of men. Even their lead- 
ing men differ widely on this question. Yes, 
their ^'brightest lights'' send forth rays as di- 
vergent as the beams of light that find their 
way from the king of day to the opposite poles 
of terra firma. For instance, Mr. Mell, in his 
work on Baptism, says, "The new church was 
organized on the day of Penticost." With this 
statement Mr. Crowell, Cramp and Orchard all 
agree. But Mr. Peay enters his protest, and 
says, ''The new church was organized by the 
Saviour on the mountain,'' where he ordained 
the twelve apostles, that he might send them 
forth to preach, heal the sick and cast out 
devils. But Mr. Dayton says, "The new 
church was organized by John the Baptist in 



BRIGHT LIGHTS OUESSING. 15 

the river Jordan." Strange place indeed to 
organize a church ! But to cap the climax, and 
throw all ''lesser lights'' completely in the 
shade, Mr. Howell says, ''The new church had 
its birth in the upper room, on the night of the 
betrayal.'' How remarkably strange that all 
his brethren cannot see it in the same light I 
For he adds, she arose, then and there, "as 
bright as the morning sun without a cloud." 
We submit; does this not look a little too much 
like guess work, even among these "bright 
lights" of the new church theory? "If a king- 
dom be divided against itself that kingdom 
shall fall." But still they hold their ground, 
diversified as are their opinions, and challenge 
the world to the enormous task of overthrow- 
ing this baseless fabric — the "new church" the- 
ory. They refer us to scriptures which they 
claim prove their positions, and ask, at our 
hands, their prayerful consideration. We shall 
now examine a few of the most important of 
these scriptures, and show how far they are 
from establishing the "new church" theory. 

Daniel says, in interpreting Nebuchadnez- 
zar's dream, "And in the days of these kings 
shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, 
which shall never be destroyed; and the king- 
dom shall not be left to other people, but it 
shall break in pieces and consutue all these 



16 NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM. 

kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.'' This, 
they regard as one of their strongest holds. 
We must understand the dream in order to un- 
derstand this verse in the interpretation. The 
great image, was some of the most prominent 
kingdoms of this world; and the stone that 
"smote the image, became a great mountain, 
and filled the whole earth" was the church or- 
ganized in the household of Abraham, which 
had fallen down and trailed her banner in the 
dust. But this dilapidated, down-fallen, world- 
ridden, sorely persecuted church was the visi- 
ble kingdom that the God of heaven proposed 
to set up again in the midst of her enemies, and 
cause to stand forever. In the days of these 
kings shall the God of heaven set up a king- 
dom. Mark the words, set up*, not organize, 
create or bring into existence something new; 
a "new church" for instance; but set up some- 
thing that already existed — that grand old visi- 
ble kingdom, that shall have no end, that shall 
break in pieces and cosume all other kingdoms, 
be submerged at last in the kingdom of eternal 
giory and stand forever and forever. 

The setting up of this kingdom was simply 
the raising up of the tabernacle of David that 
had fallen down. This visible kingdom is of- 
ten spoken of as a tabernacle. David in- 
quired of the Lord, to know, who should abide 



DAVID'S TABERNACLE. 17 

in this tabernacle, or wlio should remain mem- 
bers of this visible church, when Christ should 
come to re-establish it under a new covenant. 
And the answer was. He that walketh uprightly 
and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the 
truth in his heart. In other words, only the 
righteous. God was evidently speaking of his 
visible kingkom when he said through the 
prophet Jeremiah; My tabernacle is spoiled, 
and all my cords are broken: my children are 
gone forth of me, and they are not: there is 
none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to 
set up my curtains. For the pastors are be- 
come brutish^ and have not sought the Lord; 
therefore they shall not prosper, and all their 
flocks shall be scattered. God also spoke of 
the restoration of this same kingdom to its 
former glory, when he said by the mouth of 
his prophet Amos: In that day will I raise up 
the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close 
up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up 
his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of 
old. Or, as in Isaiah: And in mercy shall the 
throne be established: and he (Christ) shall sit 
upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, 
judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting 
righteousness. And the key of the house of 
David will I lay up on his shoulder; so he shall 
open, and none shall shut, and he shaU shut, 



18 THE SPIRITUAL KINGDOM. 

and none shall open. In perfect harmony with 
the above^ is the language of James, in defense 
of Paul and Barnabas, by whom God had 
wrought such miracles among the Gentiles. 
He says: And to this agree the words of the 
prophets; as it is written. After this I will re- 
turn, and will build again the tabernacle of 
David^ which is fallen down; and I will build 
again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 
that the residue of men might seek after the 
Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my 
name is called. This passage shows clearly 
that we did not mislay these prophecies. We 
find no organization of a ''new church'' here ; 
but simply the setting up again of that visi- 
ble kingdom that had been broken down — ^the 
rebuilding of the tabernacle of David that was 
now to stand forever. This reference to the 
visible kingdom, in its fallen down condition, 
as a tabernacle, is perfectly naturally, since 
the tabernacle of Moses was so constructed as 
to be taken down and set up again at pleasure. 
Another scripture upon which they rely is 
this: And I say also unto thee. That thou art 
Peter, (petros) and upon this rock {Petra) I 
will build my church; and the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against it. We must be able 
to analyze scripture before we can hope to un- 
derstand it. Before this passage can avail the 



FOUNDED UPON A ROCK. 19 

advocates of the ''new churcf theory any- 
thing, they will have to prove that the church 
founded upon the Eock Christ Jesus, is the 
visible, and not the spiritual kingdom. This 
they cannot do. For Peter himself says, If so be 
ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to 
whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallow- 
ed indeed of men^ but chosen of God, and 
precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up 
a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up 
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus 
Christ. Here is the spiritual church — the 
kingdom of God, "the spiritual house" founded 
upon the Eock Christ Jesus. But Paul also 
adds his testimony upon this point: Now 
therefore ye are no more strangers and for- 
eigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and 
of the household of God; and are built upon 
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner- 
stone; in whom all the building fitly framed 
together, groweth unto a holy temple in the 
Lord; in whom ye also are builded together, 
for # habitation of God through the Spirit. 
Now we see, that the church built upon the 
Eock, was not the visible, but the spiritual 
kingdom, the kingdom of God, "the household 
of God,'' "a holy temple fitly framed together,'' 
not by man, as is the visible church, but by 



20 THE KINGDOM OF aOD, 

the Holy Spirit, the architect of this spiritual 
kingdom. We submit this proposition to our 
opponents on this question. When do you re- 
gard converts on the ''Eock of ages'' ? When 
are their feet firmly planted on the sure foun- 
dation of the apostles and prophets ? When 
do they sing with the spirit and with the un- 
derstanding, He hath taken my feet out of the 
miry clay and set them upon the Eock, and he 
hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise 
unto our God ? Is it when they become mem- 
bers of the visible, or when they are born into 
the spiritual kingdom ? All, with one accord, 
unless they have adopted the dogma of "bap- 
tismal regeneration,'' and believe that water 
baptism is the door into both, the spiritual and 
visible church, must answer, when they are 
born of God, born of the Spirit, born into the 
spiritual kingdom — ^the kingdom of God. Then 
the question is settled. The scripture under 
consideration has no reference to the visible, 
but to the invisible, the spiritual church, our 
opponents themselves being the judges. 

The last passage that we shall notice i\pon 
which they rely is this: The law and the proph- 
ets were until John: since that time the king- 
dom of God is preached, and every man press- 
eth into it. Here it is self-evident that the 
spiritual, and not the visible, church is meant. 



JOHN^S MINISTRY SPIMTtJAL. 21 

Jolin's was most emphatically a spiritual minis- 
try — a ministry of repentance and faith. To 
the self-righteous Pharisees and self-conceited 
Sadducees, who came to his baptism, he said, 
O generation of vipers, who hath warned you 
to flee from the wrath to come ? Bring forth 
teerefore fruits meet for repentance. I indeed 
baptize you with water unto repentance: but he 
that Cometh after me is mightier than I: he 
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and 
with fire. And he came into all the country 
about Jordan, preaching the baptism of re- 
pentance for (in order to) the remission of sins. 
There was a man sent from God whose name 
was John, the same came for a witness, to 
bear witness of the Light, that all men through 
him might believe. And pointing to this Light 
he is saying to men to-day. Behold, (with the 
eye of faith) the Lamb of God which taketh 
away the sin of the world. The kingdom that 
John preached then, was the same that Jesus 
preached when he came into Galilee, after that 
John was put in prison, preaching the gospel 
of the kingdom of God^ and saying, the time is 
fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; 
repent ye and believe the gospel. The same 
that Jesus preached when he went throughout 
every city and vilage preaching and showing 
the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. The 



22 THE PRESS OP THE PEOPLE* 

same that Ms disciples preached when he sent 
them to preach the kingdom of God, and to 
heal the sick. This is the kingdom that Christ 
preached to Mchodemus when he said, Verily, 
verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born 
again he cannot see the kingdom of God. For, 
says Christ, the kingdom of God is not meat 
and drink, but righteousness and peace and 
joy in the Holy Ghost. This is the kingdom 
that has been preached since the days of John 
the Baptist and into which so many pressed. 
Shame on the minister that would forsake the 
spiritual, to preach the visible kingdom; that 
would leave the substance for the shadow. 
Then John preached the kingdom of God, the 
spiritual kingdom; and the people pressed into 
it, insomuch that it is said, the kingdom suffer- 
ed violence and the violent took it by force. 
This strong and impressive language simply in- 
dicates the anxiety, and difl&culty, with which 
soul-burdened and heart-bleeding penitents 
forced their way, amid tears, prayers and sup- 
plications, into this spiritual kingdom. It is a 
very easy matter to get into the visible, but by 
no means a pleasant task to press one's way 
into the spiritual kingdom. This requires ef- 
fort, sacrifice, repentance, godly sorrow, a 
turning away from sin and a looking up to 
Christ. The church refered to then, in the 



passage now tiiider consideration, is the spirit- 
ual and not the visible by any means. 

If time permitted we might notice other pas- 
sages, from which they argue the organization 
of a ''new church,'^ with the same, or similar 
results. The above will have to suffice how- 
ever as a specimen of their logic on this sub- 
ject. The misapplication of these passages 
show conclusively that their cause is sorely 
pressed, when they search the Scriptures in 
proof of the organization of a "new church.'' 

The identity of the visible church, under the 
old and new dispensations, does not, as they 
claim, involve absurdities and impossibilities. 
These supposed absurdities and impossibilities 
take the wings of the wind, or like the mists of 
the morning, melt away before the rising sun 
of truth. If our opponents were not blind to 
the distinction that exists between the visible 
and spiritual kingdoms, in their zeal to organ- 
ize a new church, they would not find so many 
difficulties, in reconciling the identity of the 
visible kingdom, with the ushering in of a new 
dispensation — the introduction of a new era in 
the history of the church and the world. It is, 
and always has been, one thing to be a mem- 
ber of the visible, but quite a different thing to 
be born into, or become identified with the 
spiritual church. Men of the blackest hearts, 



24 PUBITY OF HEAKT. 

sometimes belong to the visible kingdom; 
while purity of heart is absolutely indispensi- 
ble to recognition in the spiritual kingdom. 
The Scribes and Pharisees who clamored for 
the blood of the Just One, and Judas who be- 
trayed innocent blood for thirty pieces of sil- 
ver, with the multitude that cried. Away with 
this man, crucify him I crucify him I all belong- 
ed to the visible church. But who would have 
the audacity to say that any of them were iden- 
tified with the spiritual kingdom, which Christ 
said the unrighteous should not inherit. And 
yet this is just what they virtually do, who de- 
ny what they are pleased to call "the supposed 
identity of the Jewish church, and the Chris- 
tian church." There is but one visible, one 
spiritual, and will be but one glorified church. 



THE NEW COVENANT 25 



OHAPTEE III. 
The Identity of the Visible Church. 



Our first argument on the identity of the 
visible church is based on the new covenant. 
That God made a new covenant, with a certain 
people, at the introduction of the Christian dis- 
pensation, all are agreed. And if a new church 
was organized ^'about that time,'' by divine au- 
thority, it must, of necessity^ have been inper- 
suance of this covenant; for there was no oth- 
er under which it could have been brought in- 
to existence. But to whom was the covenant 
made ? Here we differ, and differ widely. The 
advocates of the "new church" theory say, to 
the new, or Christian church. We say, to the 
old, or Jewish church, organized in the family 
of Abraham. But to decide this question we 
must go to "the law and the testijuony.'' God 
speaks through the mouth of Jeremiah the 
prophet: Behold, the days come, saith the 
Lord, that I will make a new covenant with 
the house of Israel, and with the house of Ju- 
dah: not according to the covenant that I made 
with their fathers in the day that I took them 



26 WITH ISRAEL AND JUDAH. 

by the hand to bring them out of the land of 
Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although 
I was a husband to them, saith the Lord: but 
this shall be the covenant that I will make with 
the house of Israel after those days, saith the 
Lord: I will put my law in their inward parts, 
and write it in their hearts; and I will be their 
God, and they shall be my people. And they 
shall teach no more every man his neighbor, 
and every man his brother, saying. Know the 
Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least 
of them unto the greatest of them, saith the 
Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will 
remember their sin no more. Does this look 
like God intended to authorize the organiza- 
tion of a new church, under this covenant, 
when he says, most positively^ with the house of 
Israel^ and with the house ofJudah ? Yes — yes — 
we know he said he would make it with the 
house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, 
but — but — he did not do it; say the advocates of 
the "new church" theory. If you expect us to 
believe what you say, you will have to prove it 
from the New Testament. Alright: God spoke 
to the Hebrews, in the broad sunlight of the 
Gospel dispensation, by the noted apostle Paul, 
saying of Christ, He is the mediator of a bet- 
ter covenant, which was established upon bet- 
ter promises. For if that first covenant (the 



NO NEW CHURCH. 27 

Sinaic) had been faultless, tlien should no 
place have been sought for the second. For 
finding fault with them he saith, Behold the 
days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a 
new covenant — with a new church? No, no, 
not that; but, tcitli the Jioiise of Israel^ and with 
the house of Jitdah. He continues to quote, al- 
most verbatim, the entire covenant. Where is 
your new church? Does this look like God 
had swept out of existence, that grand old 
church that he planted with his own hands in 
the family of Abraham, watered and nourished 
for centuries in the house of Israel and the 
house of Judah, and erected a new church 
upon its ruins, into which, simply a few of the 
proselyted Jews were permitted to come? Not 
much like it, I must say. Because the law, or 
Sinaic covenant, waxed old and vanished 
away, and God placed the church under this 
new covenant of grace, ''a better covenant es- 
tablished upon better promises,'^ our oppo- 
nents wildly jumped to the conclusion that it 
was the visible church that "waxed old and 
vanished away,'' and hence, that a new church 
was of necessity organized, no matter if there 
was no provision for such organization in this 
new covenant, or divine authority, for such 
procedure to be found between the lids of the 
Holy Bible. 



28 TESTIMONY OF CHRIST. 

Our second argument on this subject is 
founded on the testimony of Christ, as record- 
ed by Matthew. In this testimony the Saviour 
carries the church over grandly, from the old 
to the new dispensation. In rather a lengthy 
parable he condemned the Jews, as "wicked 
husbandmen'' who had beaten, stoned and kill- 
ed God's prophets, and his Son, and withheld 
the fruits of his vineyard — the church. Out of 
their own mouths he forced the verdict of 
guilty. When the lord therefore of the vine- 
yard cometh, what will he do unto those hus- 
bandmen ? They say unto him. He will misera- 
bly destroy those wicked men, and will let out 
his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which 
shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 
Jesus saith unto them, therefore say I unto 
you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from 
you, (as a nation) and given to a nation bring- 
ing forth the fruits thereof. Does this testi- 
mony savor much of the organization of a new 
church? No! It rather looked to the reforma- 
tion, or purifying, of the then existing church. 
If we take the evidence of men and of angels, 
the evidence of Christ is infinitely greater ; and 
Christ has thus testified to theidentity of God's 
visible church, under the Jewish and Gospel 
dispensations. 
Our third argument relative to church 



PAUL'S TESTIMONY. 29 

identity, rests upon the apostle Paul's testi- 
mony, to the Eomans, on this subject. He 
says, the promise that Abraham should be the 
heir of the world, was not to him, or his seed 
through the law, but through the righteous- 
ness of faith. Or, to paraphrase: this precious 
promise that gave Abraham the assurance that 
he should stand at the head of the church, 
born in his own household, as its recognized 
father, in all ages of the world, came not 
in consequence of perfect obedience rendered 
to the Sinaic, or law, covenant, but in antici- 
pation of the new covenant of grace, which lit 
up his soul, with the star-light of hope, as he 
beheld it a far off, with the sleepless eye of 
faith. For if they which are of the law be 
heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made 
of none effect. Therefore it is of faith, that it 
might be by grace; to the end the promise 
might be sure to all the seed which is of the 
faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. 
Who against hope believed in hope, that he 
might become the father of many nations; he 
staggered not at the promise of God through 
unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory 
to God. Thus all-conquering grace^ though 
seen through the promise afar off, while so- 
journing from place to place a stranger in a 
strange land, dwelling in tabernacles with 



30 A aOOD OLIVE TREE. 

Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the 
same promise, lulled the fears of this grand 
old Patriarch to sleep, with the sweet melody 
of faith, while gently reclining his hoary head 
on the downy pillow of hope. For he looked 
for a city which hath foundations, whose build- 
er and maker is God. 

But again, in perfect harmony with the above, 
he says to the Gentiles : For if the first fruit be 
holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be 
holy, so are the branches. And if some of the 
branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild 
olive-tree, wert graffed in among them, and 
with them partakest of the root and fatness of 
the olive tree ; boast not against the branches. 
But if thou boast thou bearest not the root, 
but the root thee. Thou wilt say then^ The 
branches were broken off^ that I might be 
graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they 
were broken off, and thou standest by faith. 
And they also, if they abide not still in unbe- 
lief, shall be graffed in : for God is able to graff 
them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the 
olive-tree which is wild by nature, and wert 
graffed contrary to nature into a good olive- 
tree ; how much more shall these, which be the 
natural bi;anches, be graffed into their own 
olive-tree ? Can you see anything in this testi- 
mony of the great apostle to the Gentiles that 



CHRIST THE ALPHA AND OMEGA 31 

gives the mere semblance of shelter, or um- 
brage, to the "new church'' theory ? And yet 
the advocates of this theory (more unreason- 
able than the Eomans) would have us believe 
that the good olive-tree of the Jews, the Jew- 
ish church, has been literally destroyed, body, 
branches, root and all, and that the wild olive- 
tree of the Gentiles has become the Chris- 
tian church, under the Gospel dispensation. 
Strange logic indeed to set up beside these 
inspired truths which teach us so clearly that 
the church under the two dispensations is one 
and the same church. 

Our Fourth Argument, in favor of church 
identity, is grounded upon the following 
scriptural truths: 

First truth. Christ was in the visible church 
under the old dispensation as well as the new. 
Our opponents would have us believe that the 
Jewish church, as they call it, was a Christless 
church. But not so; Christ was the very 
heart of the promise made to Abraham, in per- 
suance of which the church was organized in 
his household. Christ is the alpha and omega 
of the church, whether under the Jewish or 
Gospel dispensation. He is its everlasting 
foundation; its solid comfort; its anchored 
hope; its underlying principle; its cardinal 
truth ; its almighty power ; and other founda- 



32 OF THE VISIBLE KINGDOM. 

tion can'no man lay than that is laid, which is 
Christ Jesus the Lord. He is the Eock of 
Ages upon which the church was built. Paul 
says the blessing of Abraham came on the 
Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that they might 
receive the promise of the Spirit through faith ; 
and that the promise was made to Abraham 
and his seed, which is Christ. Then truly if ye 
be Christ's, then are ye also Abraham's seed. 
He also told the brethren, that the Jewish 
fathers, all ate the same spiritual meat, that 
they ate ; and did all drink the same spiritual 
drink that they drank : for they drank of that 
spiritual Eock that followed the church 
through the wilderness; and that Bocls: was 
Christ. Strange argument indeed. I fail to 
comprehend it: Christ, the foundation, the 
meat, the drink, the very heart of a Christless 
church ? No ! the church never was without a 
Christ. Christ was the Eock from which the 
church was hewn: her strong Eock; her Eock 
and fortress; the Eock that poured her out 
rivers of oil ; the Great Eock that overshadow- 
ed her as she journeyed in a weary land. No 
wonder then, that the church sang in the lofty 
strains of the sweet singer of Israel, Lead me 
to the Eock that is higher than I. 

Second truth. The gospel was preached in 
the church under the old dispensation. Paul 



THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. 33 

says, The Scripture foreseeing that God would 
justify the heathen through faith, preached the 
gospel before unto Abraham, saying. In thee 
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. 
I fail to understand, how all the nations of the 
earth are to be blessed in Abraham, if he be 
not the father of the one churchy that God had 
ladened with blessings for all the world. 

Third truth. The organic law of the church 
remains the same under the new covenant^ or 
gospel dispensation. True the burdensome 
ceremonies of the Levitical law were abroga- 
ted. Paul says, Christ blotted out the hand 
writing against us, nailing it to his cross : that 
he abolished the enmity, existing between* the 
Jews and Gentiles, even the law of command- 
ments contained in ordinances, that he might 
reconcile both unto God in one body by the 
cross. The symbols and types were changed; 
a few simple, but significant ordinances were 
substituted instead of the seremonial law, but 
the organic law of the church remained ever the 
the same. The moral code, or decalogue, was 
boiled down and embodied in the two great 
commandments; and the doors of the church, 
hitherto confined to the Jewish nation, thrown 
open wide enough to receive the whole Gen- 
tile world. The apostles were devinely cam- 
missioned to go out and preach the gospel of 



34 COMMONWEALTH IDENTITY. 

this kingdom to all the nations of the earth. 
Christ did not authorize them to organize a new 
church, but simply to extend the borders of 
the already existing church. In the impressive 
language of his servant Isaiah, the Master sent 
them out to enlarge the tent of the Jew, to 
stretch forth the curtain of his habitation, to 
lengthen his cords, strengthen his stakes, and 
cause him to inherit the Gentile world. This 
looks very much to me like the visible church 
had remained, one and the same^ identical Mng- 
dom, both under the Jewish^ and Gentile dispen- 
sation. 

Our Fifth AuauMENT is designed to prove 
and illustrate the oneness^ sameness^ or indentity 
of the vissible church through the political iden- 
tity of our commonwealth. Is the common- 
wealth of Tennessee the same commonwealth 
it was forty years ago ? Certainly it is, you 
answer. How do you know, I ask? Have not 
the people and laws both changed ? Yes, you 
answer; but the constiution^ the organic lau\ of 
the state is the same; and the governing poiver 
is the same ; the sovereign people still reign^ and 
this is enough to constitute the identity of our 
grand old commonwealth as long as she con- 
tinues to be a commonwealth, and float her 
proud banner out upon the balmy breezes of 
the benignant heavens. So with the church 



THE REVELATOR'S VISION. 35 

militant; she has outlived many generations, 
and witnessed many changes in her statutes, 
but her grand old constitution^ her organic law 
—supreme love to God and pure love to man 
— remain always, and forever, the same, and 
the same eternal King reigns eternally : and this 
is enough to constitute the oneness^ sameness^ 
or identity of the now visible, but hereafter 
glorified kingdom of God through all ages, 
under all dispensations, in time, and through- 
out boundless eternity. 

Our sixth argument, to settle at once, 
and forever, the subject of church identity, is 
built upon the Eevelator's wonderful vision of 
the glorified church. While in the spirit on 
the isle of Patmos the Eevelator saw the holy 
Jerusalem, the glorified church, descending 
out of heaven from God. He saw her massive 
walls and gates of pearl, with the names of the 
twelve tribes of the children of Israel written 
upon them in letters of gold, while upon its 
garnished walls of precious stones he beheld 
engravened the names of the twelve apostles 
of the Lamb. Glorious vision indeed ! The 
Bride in- all her beauty, loveliness and 
glory, adorned for her husband. Come hither, 
said the angel to John, and I will show thee 
the bride, the Lamb's wife. Now John, behold 
the Bride ! far more glorious than when Solo- 



36 THE BRIDE IN HER GLORY. 

mon said, She is the fairest among women^ 
her cheeks comely with rows of jewels, her 
neck ornamented with chains of gold, all fair, 
beautified and comely as Jerusalem, while with 
her attendant queens and virgins she rested 
under his banner of love. Kow she is glorified ; 
decked with the ornaments of redeeming^ sane- 
tifying^ glorifying grace^ and robed with the 
beautiful garments of righteousness ^ she stands 
beside the Lamb on mount Sion and with a 
voice as the voice of many waters she sings 
the new song of redeeming grace. Patriarchs, 
prophets, apostles, Jews and Gentiles join in 
this grand, triumphant chorus, and thus con- 
sumate forever the oneness^ unity and identity 
of Ood^s visible Mngdom. 



CONTINUATION OF THE COVENANT 37 

CHAPTER IV. ' 

The Perpetuity of the Visible Church. 



Our first argument in favor of tlie per- 
petuity of the visible clinrch, is supported by 
the covenant in persuance of which it was 
brought into existence. We argue that the 
continuation of the covenant demands the per- 
petuity of the church. It is unreasonable to 
suppose that the church would cease to exist 
sooner than the covenant. But how long was 
the covenant to stand good? How long was it 
to endure ? Forever. It was to be an everlast- 
ing covenant. Why? Because it was a con- 
tract, or covenent, entered into between God 
and a church that was to know no end ; a visi- 
ble kingdom that will endure the ravages of 
time, in the end be delivered up by the Son to 
the Father, and, in its glorified state, go on 
parallel with God and with eternity. But we 
will let the sweet singer of Israel talk to you 
awhile on this subject; O ye seed of Abraham, 
his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. 
He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in 
all the earth. He hath remembered his cove- 
nant forever, the word which he commanded 



38 TO A THOUSAND aENERATIONS. 

to a thousand generations. Whicli covenant 
lie made with Abraham, and his oath unto 
Isaac ; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for 
a law, and to Israel for an everlasting cove- 
nant. How long does God propose to remem- 
ber his covenant to Israel — the visible church? 
Forever. How long did God command the 
word of his covenant to stand with this visible 
kingdom? Through a thousand generations. 
Now, if our friends will just have the kindness 
to wait until forever comes to an end, or, even 
until a thousand generations^ of this grand old 
visible kingdom, organized under this everlast- 
ing covenant J have been numbered with the 
past, then they can organize their new church 
ii they wish. But there were nine hundred 
and fifty seven of these generations yet to fol- 
low, on the day of Pentecost ; or over forty , 
thousand years yet to be numbered with the 
past before they dare set about this unneces- 
sary work. It is to be hoped that they will 
see the folly of organizing a new church and 
change their minds before the thousaand gener- 
ations have passed. This is a wonderful cove- 
nant that God made with Abraham, renewed^ 
with an oath, unto Isaac ; and confirmed unto 
Jacob for a law^ and to Israel for an everlast- 
ing covenant, if it ceased to be, and its off- 
spring, the churchy died with the expiring ago- 



god's covenant with DAVID. 39 

nies of the old dispensation. Such is not true. 
Our second ARauMENT, on the perpetuity 
of the church, is made in the light of God's 
covenant with David. Saul was the first king, 
or captain, of Israel. He was chosen by the 
people, but never anointed of God: for he did 
evil, displeased the Lord and the Lord rejected 
him; saying, I have provided me a king among 
the sons of Jesse, a law giver from the royal 
tribe of Judah. So David became the first 
covenanted king of Israel — God's visible 
church, or kingdom. Of Saul it is said: God 
gave him in his anger and took him away in 
his wrath. But David was chosen of the Lord 
to be a shepherd to, and a king over his people 
Israel. But let us have the covenant. I have 
made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn 
unto David my servant, thy seed will I estab- 
lish forever, and build up thy throne to all gen- 
erations. I have laid help upon one that is 
mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the 
people. I have found David my servant; 
with my holy oil have I anointed him ; and I 
will beat down his foes before his face, and in 
my name shall his horn be axalted. He shall 
cry unto me. Thou art my father^ my God, and 
the rock of my salvation. Also I will make 
him my first born, higher than the^ kings of the 
earth. My mercy will I keep for him forever- 



40 DAVID'S THRONE AS THE BUN. 

more, and my covenant shall stand fast with 
him. His seed also will I make to endure for- 
ever, and his throne as the days of 
heaven. My covenant will I not break, nor 
alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 
Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will 
not lie unto David. His seed shall endure 
forever, and his throne, as the sun before me. 
It shall be established forever as the moon, 
and as a faithful witness in heaven. This is 
very strong^ and to me very strange language^ 
if it does not teach that the visible kingdom 
over which David reigned, and the throne 
upon which David sat are to endure forever. 
The covenant says, to all generations^ as the 
days of heaven^ as the moon^ as the sun^ and as a 
faithful witness in heaven, I submit ; does this 
not look very much like kingdom, or church 
perpetuity f And yet "our friends" would 
have us believe that God changed his mind, or 
lied unto David ; for they tell us it was nothing 
but a Jewish Theocracy, has been abolished, 
annihilated, a "new church," the Christian 
kingdom, erected in its stead, while not a 
vestage of this kingdom of David is to be found 
in heaven or earth. But fortunately for us, 
God forestalled all such fanatical conclusions 
as these, when he said. My covenant I will not 
IreaTi, nor alter the thing that is gone out of 



TWO CONYERaiNa LINES. 41 

my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness 
that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall 
endnre forever and his throne as the sun before me. 
But listen to Isaiah on this point and see 
what perfect harmony exists between him and 
the Psalmist. For unto ns a child is born, 
unto us a son is given; and the government 
shall be upon his shoulder ; and his name shall 
be called Wonderful, Oouncellor, the Mighty 
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of 
Peace. Of the increase of his government and 
peace there shall be no end, upon the throne 
of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, 
and to establish it with judgment and with 
Justice from henceforth even forever. The 
Ecal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 
There it is ; Christ, not upon the throne of a 
new church, or kingdom, but upon the throne of 
David and upon his Mngdom^ to order and estab- 
lish it forever and forever. Here we find two 
converging lines that are to meet in perfect 
harmony in Christ — God's Son and David's son. 
The one line is governing the visible, and the 
other the invisible kingdom. These lines met 
at the birth of Christ ; and the God-man mount- 
ed the throne of his father David, as its legiti- 
mate heir, on the day of Pentecost, and began 
to reign over the visible, as well as the spirit- 
ual kingdom; now a dual kingdom. And he 



42 GABRIEL'S TESTIMONY. 

will continue to reign until they become one 
and the same identical Mngdom^ in the end of 
time ; and then the kingdom will be delivered 
up by the Son to God, even the Father, become 
the glorified kingdom, and endure as the days of 
heaven ; as the sun and as the moon forever^ and 
as a faithful witness in heaven^ to God's fidelity 
with his servant David. This is what I call 
churchy or Mngdom perpetuity. 

Kow we will listen to the angel Gabriel and 
see how beautifully his testimony, on this 
point, blends and harmonizes with that of the 
prophet. And the angel said unto her. Fear 
not Mary ; for thou hast found favor with God. 
And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, 
and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name 
Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called 
the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God 
shall give unto him the throne of his father 
David ; and he shall reign over the house of 
Jacob forever ; and of his kingdom there shall 
be no end. Now a gift implies the actual ex- 
istence of three things. In fact there can be 
no gift without them. A giver ^ a gift^ and a 
receiver. In this instance, the giver is the Fa- 
ther ^ the gift is the throne of David^ and the re- 
ceiver is David's son and the Son of the Highest. 
Therefore we conclude that the throne of 
David did actually exist at the ushering in of 



TESTIMONY OF ALL THE APOSTLES. 43 

the Christian dispensation, that Christ did 
actually receive, and mount that throne, and 
that in connection with the Father's spiritual 
kingdom he will actually reign over the visible 
kingdom of his father David forever ; and also 
that of this his dual kingdom there shall actual- 
ly he no end. Does not this begin to look like 
real kingdom, or chuTch perpetuity sure enough ? 
But, in concluding this argument, we will 
give you the testimony of Peter, in behalf of 
all the apostles, on this point. Men and breth- 
ren, let me freely speak unto you of the patri- 
arch David, that he is both dead and buried, 
and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 
Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that 
God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the 
fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he 
would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he 
seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of 
Christ; that his soul was not left in hell, 
neither his flesh did see corruption. This 
Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are 
witnesses. It is remar'kahly strange that all the 
apostles would bear witness to the fact that 
God had raised Christ up from the dead, in 
fulfillment of his oath, to sit upon the throne 
and reign over the kingdom of David if that 
kingdom had already ceased to exist. The fact 
is we have found in these references, a perfect 



44 JESUS BORN KINa OF THE JEWS. 

chain of scriptural truth , harmonious throughcut^ 
that forces us to the conclusion, that the Tisi- 
ble kingdom under the Christian, is but the 
perpetuation of the same kingdom under the 
Jewish dispensation. 

Our third arGtUMEnt on church perpetuity 
is submitted in the form of questions, an- 
swered in the light of scripture. 

First question. To whom was Jesus born 
a king ? We will let Matthew answer first. 
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of 
Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, 
there came wise men from the east to Jerusa- 
lem, saying, Where is he that is born king of 
the Jews? for we have seen his star in the 
^st, and are come to worship him. Now Luke 
may answer. And a superscription also was 
written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin^ 
and Hebrew, This is the king of the jews. 
Now John will answer. Then said the chief 
priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The 
king of the Jews ; but that he said, I am king 
of the Jews. Pilate answered. What I have 
written I have written. Or, in other words, 
What I have written is true and I will not 
change it. He is Tcing of the Jews. He was 
born to be a king to the Jews, the rightful heir 
to the throne of his father David's kingdom. 
This is in keeping with God's oath of confirma- 



\ CRUCIFIED KING OF THE JEWS. 45 

tioB to David, and should be an end to all 
strife on this point. 

Second question. Under what accusation 
was he crucified? We will go to John again 
for the answer. And Pilate wrote a title, and 
put it on the cross. And the writing was, 
Jesus of I^azareth the king of the Jews. 
Born king of the Jews, and crucified king of the 
Jews. 

Third question. When he became Gov- 
ernor, whom did he rule? Micah answers. 
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou 
be little among the thousands of Juda, yet 
out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is 
to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have 
been from of old, from everlasting. Matthew 
confirms this testimony. And thou Bethle- 
hem, in the land of Juda, art not the least 
among the princes of Juda : for out of thee shall 
come a Governor, that shall rule my people 
Israel. Strange if Christ was to be Governor 
and ruler of a " new church " that inspiration 
should make the sad mistake of placing him, 
under the Christian dispensation too, over the 
same visible kingdom that had outlived the 
old Jewish dispensation, and was destined, in 
connection with his spiritual kingdom, to out 
live time itself^ and ultimately become the 
kingdom of eternal glory. 



46 CHRIST, ISRAEL'S KING. 

Fourth question. Was Christ a king ; and if 
so, over whom did he reign ? Luke says when 
he made his triumphant entrance into Jerusa- 
lem that the whole multitude of disciples be- 
gan to rejoice and praise God, saying, Blessed 
be the King that cometh in the name of the 
Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the high- 
est. The Pharisees wanted him to rebuke his 
disciples for calling him a king; but Jesus 
answered if these should hold their peace the 
stones would immediately cry out. God says 
through Ezekiel, Behold I will take the child- 
ren of Israel from among the heathen, and 
bring them unto their own land, and one king 
shall be king to them all; and they all shall 
have one shepherd ; and my servant David (in 
the person of Christ), shall be their prince for- 
ever; and I will set my sanctuary in the 
midst of them forevermore. Yea I will be 
their God and they shall be my people ; and 
the heathen shall know. that I the Lord do 
sanctify Israel. Zechariah says, Eejoice great- 
ly, O daughter of Zion ; shout, O daughter of 
Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto 
thee: he is just and having salvation. And 
Matthew points out the fulfillment of this 
prophecy in Christ. Tell ye the daughter of 
Zion, Behold thy king cometh unto thee. Pilate 
said to Jesus, Art thou the king of the Jews ? 



THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL. 47 

Jesus evaded the question, and said, My king- 
dom is not of this world : meaning the spiritnal 
kingdom over which he then reigned, for he 
adds, but now is my kingdom not from hence. 
He had not yet assumed the reigns of the visi- 
ble kingdom. But Pilate pressed the question, 
Art thou a king then? Jesus answered^ Thou 
say est that I am a king. To this end was I 
born, and for this cause came I into the world, 
that I might bear witness unto the truth — that 
I might bear faithful witness to the covenanted 
truth of my Father God unto my father David^ 
mount his throne and perpetuate his kingdom 
through all time, and to all eternity. 

Fifth question. To whom was Christ sent, 
and to whom did he send his twelve apostles? 
Christ said himself, I am not sent but unto the 
lost sheep of the house of Israel. Jesus also 
sent forth his twelve disciples, his subordinate 
officers, saying, Go not into the way of the Gen- 
tiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter 
ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the 
house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying. 
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. And again 
he called his twelve disciples together, and 
gave them power and amthority over all devils, 
and to cure diseases ; and he sent them to 
preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the 
sick. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. The 



48 THE BRIDEaROOM AND BRIDE. 

kingdom of God is preached. The visible 
kingdom — the tabernacle of David, is about to 
be set up again, under the new covenant, and 
united under Christ, the one king, with the 
spiritual kingdom. This union of the visible 
and spiritual kingdoms into one dual kingdom 
took place on the day of Pentecost. Joel says, 
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call 
a solemn assembly : gather the people, sancti- 
fy the congregation, assemble the elders, gath- 
er the children and those that suck the breasts : 
and then what Joel ? let the bridegroom go 
forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her 
closet. Let Christ and the visible church meet 
as bride and groom in Jioly spiritual wedlock 
and I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh ; 
for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be 
deliverance, and in the remnant whom the 
Lord shall call, then shall Jerusalem be holy ; 
for the Lord dwelleth in Zion. And Peter said 
upon the day of Pentecost, This is that which 
was spoken by the prophet Joel ; and it shall 
come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will 
pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: Christ 
mounted the throne of David then, on the day 
of Pentecost, and, as Stag of kings, will reign 
to the glory of God the Father, and to the eter- 
nal perpetuation of his dual kingdom. This is 
churchy or Jcingdom perpetuity. 



PREACHINO THE WORD 49 

CHAPTEE V. 

The Ordinances of the Visible Kingdom. 



We will only notice three of these important 
ordinances; Preaching the Word, the Lord's 
Supper and Water Baptism. 

PREACHINa THE WORD. 

Preaching, under the new, answers to proph- 
ecy, under the old dispensation. ''It pleased 
God by the foolishness of preaching to save 
them that believe. For the preaching of the 
cross is to them that perish foolishness; but 
unto us which are saved it is the power of 
God.'' Our mission is to preach the gospel to 
every creature, to sow the seed of truth by all 
waters. Our field of labor is the world, and 
the seed we are commanded to sow is the 
word of God. ^^Preacli the word/'' The word 
of God is quick and powerful. The word is 
potent It has been tested; thrown in the cru- 
cible, but never found wanting. It always 
meets the emergency and fills the demand. 
The Celestial Empire, The Land of the Eising 
Sun, in brief, nearly the whole of the Oriental 
world, is wrapped in moral darkness and 



60 IN ITS POTENCY. 

sepulchred in spiritual death. But the faithful 
preaching of the word, in its potency^ will win 
all of these heathen nations, as an inheritance 
for Christ, and the uttermost parts of the 
earth as his rightful possession. We do well 
then if we preach the gospel^ since so many 
preach almost everything else to the exclusion 
of the word. This word is the revealed will of 
God — the power of God unto salvation. And 
therefore infinitely better adapted to the wants 
of men, than Philosophy, Science, Mythology, 
or any thing else that we can possibly preach. 
This word, which we preach, comes to all 
mankind with its lessons of salvation and 
promises of heaven. In it every man may find 
a sweet response to the yearnings of his own 
spirit ; a chord of sympathy thrilling in unison 
with the deepest and loftiest experience of his 
own heart. It brings rest and strength to the 
soul amid all the conflicts of life. This blessed 
word describes all conditions of human life; 
and gives utterance to all the desires and emo- 
tions of the human soul. It has a song of 
triumph for the victor and a wail of defeat for 
the vanquished. It sparkles with the fervor 
and gladness of youth, celebrates the glory and 
strength of manhood; and bewails the sorrows 
and infirmities of old age. It exults in the 
mighty deeds of kings and conquerors, sympa- 



IT MEETS EVERY EMERaENCY. 51 

thiz^ with the poor and lowly, lifts up the 
fallen, delivers the oppressed and breathes the 
blessings of peace upon the quiet homes of 
domestic life. It describes with startling 
clearness the seductions of temptation, the 
conflicts of doubt and the miseries of skepti- 
cism. It searches the secret chambers of the 
heart, and brings to light its purest love and 
darkest hate ; its highest joy and deepest grief. 
In other words, it compasses the utmoa;t range 
of thought, feeling and desire ; and sounds the 
utmost depth of motive, character and passion. 
It enters the lowliest home with the blessings 
of peace; kindles the light of hope in the 
darkest abode, and speaks in gentleness and 
kindness to the out cast and abandoned of 
earth. It nerves the weary arm with strength, 
inspires the heavy heart with hope and tills the 
longing soul with joy and gladness. It sets 
forth the most spiritual and heavenly truths in 
the lights and shadows of earthly scenea and 
human characters ; and reveals to man the 
great fountain of justice, love and mercy, for 
all the world, in the person of Jesus. Then 
let us preach it, not as a fable, but as the in- 
spired word of God — not in slavish fear or 
cowardly superstition, but in loving JmmiUty 
and living faith/ ^nd the world will acknowl- 
edge its efficiency in the yield of a hundred 



52 THE lord's supper 

fold. For there is a naturalness of adaptation 
in the word to the wants of fallen humanity to 
be found no where else. Then away with your 
cold, philosophical reasoning, food it may be 
for the intellect, but famine to the soul, and 
let us have the gospel which sets forth the 
comi)assionate love of Jesus with a power that 
melts the hard and stony heart, long since in- 
vulnerable to the attacks of rhetoric and phi- 
losophy — the gospel that ravishes with its 
sweetness, and melts to deep contrition with 
its sympathy, the soul that could never be 
moved by flowery essays, or eloquent diserta- 
tions. Preach the Word. 

THE lord's supper. 

There are just two all-important events in 
the system of human redemption, that were 
prefigured, or symbolized, under the old dis- 
pensation. These are respectively, the death 
of Christy and the conversion of the soul. The 
death of Christ was symbolized by the Pass- 
over, and the conversion of the soul by the 
ordinance of Circumcision. But these grand 
events are still represented under the new dis- 
pensation. The regeneration of the soul is 
figured by the ordinance of Water Baptism ; 
while the death of Christ is symbolized by the 
sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 



INSTITUTED BY THE SAVIOUR. 53 

God gave the ordinance of the Pass-over to 
Israel as a pledge that Christ would come and 
redeem the world. So when Jesus redeemed 
that pledge on the cross the Pass-over like a 
settled note became null and void. The Lord's 
table was erected in its room and stead, in the 
same church. For Jesus just after administer- 
ing this ordinance to his apostles said, I ap- 
point unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath 
appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink 
at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones 
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This 
sacred ordinance was instituted by the Saviour 
himself, on the same night in which he was be- 
trayed. He had just eaten, with his disciples 
the last Pass-over, closing out the old dispen- 
sation, and foreshadowing, for the last time, 
the ushering in of the new, when he took the 
bread and wine, fit emblems of his broken body 
and shed blood, blessed, partook himself, and 
administered to his disciples ; saying, as oft as 
ye eat this bread and drink this wine, ye do 
show the Lord's death till he come. This 
divine ordinance then, was to take the place of, 
and answer a similar purpose, under the new 
dispensation, to that of the Pass-over under 
the old. 

The Pass-over had its origin in the fact, that, 
on the night before the departure of Israel 



54 THE PASS-OVEB. 

from Egypt, the destroying angel passed over 
the houses of the Hebrews because of the 
blood of a lamb found on the door posts, while 
he slew the first born of all the Egyptians. 
This sacred festival was commemorative, and 
also typical in its nature. The great deliver- 
ance it commemorated was a striking type of 
the, still greater, salvation it foretold. Its 
chief design was to point out, through the 
sacrifice of its paschal lamb, the more im- 
portant sacrificial offering of the Lamb of God. 
Christ identified himself with this paschal 
lamb, as its great antitype, when he substituted 
the Lord's Supper for the Pass-over, and on 
the same (Jewish) day became our Pass-over, 
sacrificed for us on the cross. The main pur- 
pose then, was accomplished at the death of 
Christ ; and hence it was abrogated, as a part 
of the ceremonial law — abolished by Christ, as 
a part of the law of commandments contained 
in ordinances. It is gone ; forever gone ! And 
the Holy Eucharist, a simple but significant 
ordinance takes its place, and points the world 
with index finger back to Christ, just as its pre- 
decessor pointed forward to the Lamb of Hope 
yet to be slain. 

The similarity of circumstances connected 
with these two ordinances bear me out in these 
assertions. Each of them marked a new era, 



. THE EUCHAUISTIC LAMB. 55 

or epoch, in the history of the church and the 
world. The sacrifice of the Pass-over was a 
lamb, evidently pointing, typically, to the Lamb 
slain for sin, the sacrificial death of which is 
celebrated in the Lord's Supper. Salvation 
was secured through the blood of each of these 
sacrifices ; and not a bone of either was broken. 
The Jews ate the paschal lamb with bitter 
herbs ; so christians eat the flesh and drink the 
blood of the Lamb of God, by faith, through the 
worm-wood and gaul of repentance and deep 
contrition of spirit. The children of Israel ob- 
served the feast of the Pass-over with their 
loins girded, and their feet shod, ready to take 
up the line of march for the promised land, 
and so the children of God partake of the 
sacrament of the Lord's Supper, acknowledg- 
ing themselves, strangers and pilgrims on the 
earth, seeking a better country, that is an 
heavenly. The eucharistic Lamb was sacri- 
ficed on the same day of the week and year, 
on which the paschal lamb was slain ; and the^ 
Pass-over, a mere shadow of good things to 
come, gave way to the substance, a purely 
spiritual ordinance, that points us to a new and 
living way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. 
But the controvercial point, in connection 
with this holy sacriment, has reference princi- 
ple to the elements used. Are the bread and 



56 THE ELEMENTS EMBLEMATIC- 

wine mere emblems, or the actual flesh and 
blood, of the slain Lamb ? Christ said of the 
bread. This is my body, broken for you; and 
of the wine. This cup is the new testament in 
my blood. Did the Saviour really intend to 
teach, with reference to these elements, the 
mysterious, not to say absurd, doctrine of 
Transubstantiation ; that the bread and wine 
are, in substance, verily changed into his liter- 
al flesh and blood? Did he not rather teach 
that they were emblematic of his broken body 
and shed blood; representing the hidden 
manna and the water of life, upon which the 
soul is expected to feast bountifully in the ob- 
servance of this purely spiritual ordinance? 
It is just as unreasonable to claim that Jesus 
was speaking literally, and taught that the 
bread and wine were his real flesh and blood, 
as it would be to contend that because he said. 
This cup, that he meant the literal cup, not its 
contents, is the new testament in my blood. 

But not only are these elements emblematic ; 
this sacred ordinance itself is a beautiful sym- 
bol of the great communion of saints in heaven. 
Our Saviour doubtless alluded to this fact when 
he said, I will not drink henceforth of this 
fruit of the vine, not hlood^ until that day when 
I drink it new with you in my Father's king- 
dom. Just as the bread and wine are symboli- 



A MORE GLORIOUS COMMUNION. 57 

cal of the broken body and shed blood of 
Christ ; so the entire ordinance is a striking 
type of a higher service, and a more glorious 
communion, around the sacramental table in 
heaven, where all the redeemed of earth shall 
sit down together and eat the marriage supper 
of the Lamb. Glorious communion indeed ! 
The redeemed of every age and clime ; the vast 
myriads of all nations, kindred, people and 
tongues, which stand before the throne and 
the Lamb ; the hundred and forty and four 
thousand, seen by the Eevelator ; the General 
Assembly and church of the first born, and the 
vast multitudes which no man can number, 
clothed with white robes and bearing palms 
of victory in their hands ,• these will be the re- 
cognized communicants around this, same per- 
pettiatedj Sacramental Board in heaven, headed 
by the Great Master of Assemblies. 

WATER BAPTISM. 

Just when and where this holy ordinance 
was instituted no man can tell. Who was the 
administrator and the subject of the first in- 
stance of water baptism history does not re- 
veal. Yet we have good and ample reasons 
for accepting it as a divine ordinance of no 
small import. The use of water in this sacred 
ordinance is no doubt owing to its qualities as 



68 WATER VERSUS SPIRITUAL BAPTISM. 

the great element of purification : for "water 
and blood'' were the divinely appointed sym- 
bols of moral renovation and atonement under 
the Mosaic Economy. This sacred ordinance 
is scripturally administered in the. name of the 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; and is, on the 
part of adults^ a public profession of faith in 
Christ ; and thus significant of regeneration, 
but by no means a regenerating ordinance. 

The Bible recognizes a spiritual^ as well as a 
water baptism ; an invisible^ as well as a visible 
baptism ; a baptism with the Holy Ghost^ as well 
as a baptism with water. And we do well to 

remember that of the two. the former is of infi- 
nitely more importance than the latter. The 

first, is the substance, the last the shadow : the 
water, a mere emblem^ the spiritual, a divine re- 
ality: the one, simply an aswer of a good con- 
science^ but the other, a washing of regenera- 
tion and a renewing of the soul by the Holy 
Ghost. Spiritual baptism is salvation-, water 
baptism, but its figure. "The like figure where 
unto baptism doth now also save us.'' Tem- 
poral salvation in the ark was a figure of eter- 
nal salvation in heaven ; and water was a visi- 
ble sign, or line of distinction, between the 
saved and unsaved. Just so in these two 
baptisms, water, is the visible sign, or figure, 
of spiritual baptism, representing to the natur- 



ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM. 59 

al eye the line of distinction between the saved 
and the lost. With these plain facts before us, 
we are not so likely to wrest the Scriptures, 
and misapply passages referring to spiritual 
baptism, in order to prove erroneous views on 
the subject of water baptism. The connected 
circumstances must always decide as to which 
baptism reference is made, in the absence of 
direct, or positive proof. For instance, when 
the apostle says, one Lord, one faith, one bap- 
tism, the connection shows clearly that he had 
no reference whatever to water baptism. For 
there are lords many, faiths many and, in one 
sense, baptisms many. But there is only one 
Lord and Saviour, one saving faith and one 
baptism essential to salvation. "There is one 
body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in 
one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one faith, 
one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is 
above all, and through all, and in you all." 

Good men, learned men, christian men have 
differed widely on this vexed question. There- 
fore we do not make water baptism a test or- 
dinance^ or unchristianize any whose views may 
not be in perfect harmony with ours. In essen- 
tials to salvation we insist on the closest pos- 
sible unity of faith : in non-essentials^ we grant 
the widest concievable liberty of thought; but 
in all things give us u7ihounded charity. 



60 THE BAPTIST VERSION. 

OHAPTEE VI. 
The Design of Water Baptism, 



There are three distinct views held, as to the 
design of water baptism. For convenience we 
designate them as the Baptist, the Campbellite, 
and the Pedo-Baptist versions. Two out of 
these three, must of necessity be wrong, for 
water baptism can have but one specific design. 
In fact, all are agreed that but one of these 
versions can he true, that one of them is true. 
But which is true ? This is the question to be 
settled. 

The Baptist version says, water baptism 
is designed to symbolize the death, burial and 
resurrection of Christ. We join issue with 
this version, in the first place, because we find 
no authority for it in God's word. None of 
the passages relied upon by its advocates refer 
to water baptism at* all. And if they did, un- 
fortunately for them, they would prove just a 
little too much for their theory; and establish 
beyond all controversy the dogma of " baptismal 
regeneration." 

We will now examine carefully two of their 
favorite, and most popular, passages on this 



BURIED WITH CHRIST. 61 

version ; and hope to be able to convince our 
readers tliat they have no reference to water 
baptism whatever, but refer solely to the bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost. The first reads, Know 
ye not, that so many of us as were baptized 
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death ? 
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism 
into death: that like as Christ was raised up 
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even 
so we also should walk in newness of life. 
For if we have been planted together in the 
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the 
likeness of his resurrection. It does not re- 
quire a critical eye to see that this passage 
refers only to spiritual baptism. Paul says, 
writing to persons all of whom had been bap- 
tized with water. Know ye not that so many of 
us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were 
baptized into his death. Nothing could be 
plainer: all baptized with water; but only a 
part of them, with the Holy Ghost. But we 
are buried with Christ, by baptism into death. 
The context shows that this is a death unto 
sin. Then if it be water baptism, by which we 
are buried into this death, water baptism is es- 
sential to salvation, and the dogma of " baptis- 
mal regeneration'' is established beyond the 
shadow of a doubt. There is but two horns to 
the dilemma, and our baptist friends must 



62 PLANTED, CRUCIFIEI> AND DEAD. 

choose one or the other. It is either spiritual 
baptism, by which we are buried into death, or 
water baptism is essential to salvation. Which 
horn of the dilemma will you choose ? Choose 
either and your version is gone, forever gone. 
Again the context teaches us, that this is a 
death unto sin which makes us alive unto God. 
It must therefore be a spiritual baptism; for 
water baptism has no power to kill unto sin, or 
to make alive unto God. Again the same 
agent that raised Christ from the dead enables 
us to walk in newness of life. That agent is 
the spirit by which the body of sin is destroyed 
and the soul freed from its condemning power. 

By water this could not have been ; 
The burial was a death to sin. 
Not only hurled the apostle said, 
But planted^ crucified and dead. 
Thus we are buried into death 
By the Spirit the scripture saith. 

The fact is the terms buried, planted, and 
crucified with him, are all figurative or meta- 
phorical and denote the same thing — ^the death 
of the soul to sin, and its resurrection, through 
the baptism of the spirit, to newness of life. 
For ye are dead, crucified^ and your life is hid, 
buried^ planted^ with Christ in God, through, 
spiritual baptism^ the washing of regeneration 
and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. But 
Paul says we are buried: this is enough to 



BURIED BY BAPTISM. 63 

bIlow that it is not water baptism, for they 
were not under water at that time, yet they 
were buried even then. The idea that this is a 
burial in water, rather than into a death to sin, 
by which we are resurrected to newness of 
life, is as soulless as it is senseless. Paul says 
we are buried into death^ not in water : And the 
Spirit alone has the power to kill, to sin and 
make alive to God, Hence the burial into 
death is by spiritual, and not by water, bap- 
tism. With Baptists, the burial is baptism, and 
baptism is the burial. But Paul says buried 
by baptism, making one the cause, the other 
the effect, one the agent and the other the 
action. He knew too much about rhetoric to 
say baptized by baptism, or buried by a burial. 
And yet this Baptist version, virtually charges 
him with just such nonsensical folly. 

The second passage is very similar to the 
first. Buried with him by baptism, wherein 
also ye are risen with him through the faith of 
the operation of God, who hath raised him 
from the dead. This scripture explains itself. 
It shows that christians are buried with Christ 
in a baptism that has also resurrected them 
with him; so that they reckon themselves 
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. It 
also teaches that this baptism is administered, 
in consequence of faith, upon our part, by the 



64 SACRED . ORACLES METAPHORICAL. 

operation of God, who operates, in saving bap- 
tism, only through the agency of the Spirit ; for 
by his Spirit we are baptized into Christ, says 
the Gospel. This burial is not baptism, but an 
effect of baptism. Cause and effect are differ- 
ent things but this version makes them the 
same thing, since one dip constitutes both the 
burial and the baptism. 

To satisfy us that these sacred oracles are 
metaphorical, and refer only to spiritual bap- 
tism, with its natural results, we need but re- 
member the following truths. A thing when 
literally planted must remain planted. A man 
literally crucified, is actually put to death on a 
cross. In a person literally dead, life must be 
extinct. To be literally buried, we must re- 
main in that into which we are buried. And to 
be buried into death, is not simply to be dip- 
ped, or plunged into water, and taken out im- 
mediately. For we remain dead and our lives 
remain hid, or buried, with Christ in God. We 
are buried with him by baptism into death. 
And it is just as unreasonable to contend that 
we can not be buried by baptism into death 
spiritually, without being actually immersed in 
water, as it would be to claim that we can not 
be crucified spiritually, unless we be literally 
put to death on a cross, or that we can not 
have spiritual life, unless we actually eat the 



ANOTHER DILEMMA. 65 

literal flesh and drink the literal blood of 
Christ. What an absurdity ! 

We join issue with this version in the second 
place because it makes water baptism and the 
Lord's Supper represent one and the same 
thing. If true, this is passing strange indeed, 
since the great event signified only by the Pass- 
over, when seen through the dim light of proph- 
ecy, must now be represented by two sacred or- 
dinances, though a historic fact hoary with the 
weight of centuries; while the conversion of 
the soul, an event that fills the courts of heaven 
with joy and gladness, once symbolized by the 
ordinance of Circumcision, though now occupy- 
ing a more prominent place, should yet be en- 
tirely overlooked, in the institution of ordinan- 
ces, under the Gospel dispensation. We can 
not believe it. Now, if this version be true, wa- 
ter baptism is a sign of the death, burial and res- 
urrection of Christ ; but Jesus said himself that 
no such sign should be given that wicked 
generation, but the sign of the prophet Jonas; 
^' For as Jonas was three days and three nights 
in the whale's belly, so shall the son of man be 
three days and three nights in the heart of the 
earth.'' Here is another dilemma ; Christ 
versus the Baptist version. Where think you 
we will be most likely to find the truth ; in this 
version or in the words of Jesus ? 



66 TRINE IMMERSION. 

We object to this version, in the third place, 
because, if it be true, water baptism has never 
filled its mission in the world. For no mode 
or manner of baptism ever practiced by the ad- 
vocates of this version even faintly represents 
the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, or 
any one of them. Even trine immersion will not 
fill the bill. Compare immersion with a burial 
and you will find nothing to warrant the assump- 
tion that the one symbolizes the other. Dip- 
ping has not the slightest resemblance to the 
mode of burying people in any part of the 
world. Who ever dreamed of seeing a subject 
for the tomb wade in the grave knee deep and 
then be plunged into the sod by another per- 
son? Who ever heard of a people that buried 
the living in order to secure their death? 
Who ever saw a man buried one moment and 
resurrected the next? Where is the resem- 
blance? It can not be found for the simple 
reason that it is not there to find. And yet 
strange to say, the advocates of this scripture- 
less version, let them dip once or thrice, take 
their subjects out of the water as soon as pos- 
sible and vainly imagine they have represented 
the agonizing death, three days burial and the 
triumphant resurrection of Christ. But 

" Water baptism was not designed 
To set before a person's mind, 



THE CAMPBELLITE VERSION. 67 

A grave — a funeral^ and polution, 
But rather does it show abhition — 
A cleansing by the Saviour's blood, 
With that baptism performed by God : 
Water baptism no doubt Is meant, 
This work of God to represent.'* 

The CAMPBELLITE VERSION claims that the 
design of water baptism is to secure the re- 
mission of sins. We object to this version, 
first^ because it stands in positive contradiction 
to God's Word. We simply give a part of the 
scriptures that this version contradicts without 
note, or comment, as neither is necessary. He 
that believeth on him is not condemned : but 
he that believeth not is condemned already, 
because he hath not believed in the name of 
the only begotten Son of God. He that be- 
lieveth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he 
that believeth not the Son shall not see life. 
To him give all the prophets witness, that 
through his name whosoever believeth in him 
shall receive remission of sins. 

Then in order to secure 

The remission of our sins, 
We need not seek a pond impure 

And plunge our bodies in : 
For, if we but in Christ believe, 

We'll meet the Lord's condition, 
Baptism, spiritual, receive. 
And with it full remission. 

We differ with this version, in the second 



68 SALVATION WITHOUT WATER BAPTISM. 

place, because God saved persons under the 
old dispensation, without water baptism ; and 
we believe he still saves in the same way under 
the new dispensation. He is the same God, in 
every respect, that he always was — the same 
yesterday, to-day and forever — in whom there 
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 
The relation we sustain to God, as sinners, is 
also exactly the same under both dispensa- 
tions. The Bible no where intimates that God 
has made the slightest change, either as to the 
means^ or condition of salvation. If we learn 
the means by which, and the condition upon 
which God saved men at any period in the 
world's history, we have them then for all 
time, past and future. Paul says, By grace are 
ye saved through faith ; and that (salvation) not 
of yourself ; it is the gift of God: not of works 
lest any man should boast. Here we find faith, 
with what faith implies, the condition of salva- 
tion. But again he says, l^ot by works of right- 
eousness which we have done (hence not by 
water baptism)^ but according to his mercy, he 
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and 
the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Here we 
find the instrument or agent through which we 
obtain remission of sins — the Holy Ghost. 
Once more : Paul says. Without the shedding of 
blood there is no remission. Here we find the 



COMBINATION OF CAUSES. 69 

meanSy wMcli must be applied in order to the 
remission of sins — the blood of Christ. We 
learn then, from these passages of scripture, 
that grace is the provisional^ faith the con- 
ditional^ God the original^ Christ ilo.^ procuring^ 
or meritorious^ and the Holy Spirit the instru- 
mental cause of our salvation. And when these 
causes all unite, no matter whether water bap- 
tism has been administered or not, the effect 
is produced, we have remission of sins^ and our 
souls are saved for time and eternity. 

We take issue with this version, in the third 
place because, the scriptures teach that spirit- 
ual baptism is essential to the remission of 
sins. Paul says. We being many are one body 
in Christ. For as many of you as have been 
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. For 
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body 
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

"The Spirit's baptism saves from sin, 
And to Christ's body brings us in : 
Of this one body, Christ is head, 
If not the body must be dead. 
The water this may represent, 
But we should never be content 
To experience but the outward sign, 
And live without the work divine." 

We find fault with this version, in the fourth 
place, because it is not in harmony with the 
answer of Paul and Silas to the Jailer's ques- 



70 WHAT MUST I DO ? 

tion, Sirs what must I do to be saved? Be- 
lieve on tlie Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt 
be saved, and thy house. Here is proffered 
salvation, through faith, without water bap- 
tism, either implied or expressed. 

''No treasure can we have above, 
Without that faith which works by love. 
In ancient times there were not a few, 
That might be called an outward Jew : 
While with real Jews they had no part, 
Not being circumcised in heart. 
In modern times there are many too 
No better than the ancient Jew : 
With water they have been baptized, 
But never have they realized 
The Spirit's baptism on the heart ; 
Therefore with Christ they have no part." 

We differ with this version^ in the fifth place, 
because Paul said to the Corinthians, I thank 
God that I baptized none of you, but Orispus 
and Gains: and I baptized also the household 
of Stephanas ; besides, I know not whether I 
baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to 
baptize, but to preach the Gospel. Strange 
indeed, if water baptism be designed to secure 
the remission of sin — essential to salvation — 
that Paul, with all his zeal for Christ, should 
thank God that he had been instrumental in 
saving so few. I am sure no Campbellite min- 
ister would be guilty of using such language, 
with reference to immersion. For, 



A WATERY GRAYE. 71 

'' They often make this false assertion, 
''No one is saved without immersion! ^^ 
That God has neither son or daughter, 
But such as have been under water. 
God has no way that he can save, 
But only through a watery grave ; 
"•Ho! every mother's son and daughter; 
Here's the Gospel in the water! " 
They say there is hut one condition. 
On which we can obtain remission ; 
Under the water we must go. 
For Alexander tells us so ! 
The Bibles that he wrote they read ; 
And these form their religious creed. 
If we all through his version look, 
We'll find no baptism in his Book. 
He says immersion, and not baptism; 
This surely then, is Caw,pbellism P^ 

We object to this Yersion, in the sixth place, 
because the scriptures relied upon, by its ad- 
Yocates, do not sustain it. We will examine 
a few of their faYorite passages on the design 
of water baptism. 

First passage : Then Peter said unto them, 
repent, and be baptized CYcry one of you in 
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of 
sins, and ye shall receiYC the gift of the Holy 
Ghost. Peter was not discussing the efficacy 
of water baptism. He was pricking the hearts 
of the Jews who belicYcd in the Father and 
the Holy Ghost, but* rejected Christ. Their 
great sin was the crucifixion of the Messiah. 
The bicrden of Peter's sermon to them was, sal- 



72 THE WORLD-WIDE COMMISSION. 

vation only throi^gh this rejected^ crucified Sa- 
viour. The leading thought in the passage is a 
repentance and a baptism, which recognize 
Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of 
the world. 

Third PASSAaE : Go ye into all the world, 
and preach the Gospel to every creature. He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; 
but he that believeth not shall be damned. In 
this commission we have the essentials to sal- 
vation ; faith and spiritual baptism. But were 
the Scriptures silent on this subject, common 
sense ought to teach us to predicate salvation 
to spiritual^ rather than water baptism. 

Fourth passage: Except a man be born 
of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter 
into the kingdom of God. The exegesis is 
simply this : Jesus was talking to Mcodemus ; 
he introduced the subject of the new birth. 
Mcodemus thought he had reference to a 
second natural birth. Christ explained by re- 
ferring to the natural as a water birth; a 
reference common among the Jews; and to 
the Supernatural as a Spiritual birth. Man is 
first, as all physicians know^ born of, or 
through the agency of water, and can not be 
born without it. His is a water hirth^ or a 
Mrth hy water. But man is next^ as Christ de- 
clares, born of, or through the agency of the 



THE SPIRITUAL BIRTH. 73 

Spirit. He can not be born without it. His 
is most emphatically a spiritual Mrtli, or a birth 
by the Spirit. In plain English Christ said, Ex- 
cept this spiritual^ follow the natural birth a 
man cannot enter the kingdom of God. That 
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that 
which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel 
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born 
again. 

" 'Tis water baptism ; some will say, 

And tell us there's no other way 

We can become a child of God, 

And feel the virtue of Christ's blood. 

They boldly make this false assertion. 

There is no hirth hut hy hnmersion. 

They'll own no person as a brother. 

Unless he does revere their mother. 

Be this a river, lake or pond. 

Of her they seem extremely fond ; 

They think her worthy of all honor. 

And place their love so much upon her, 

That whether they do speak or write. 

She's in their thoughts both day and night. 

And now I ask do they not rather 

Give her more honor than their father. 

'Tis the strangest notion yet on earth, 

That '"water baptism is a biHh;^ 

Unless they do embrace that other. 

That literal water is their mother; 

Then who's their father? For surely he, 

Must married to their mother be ; 

This truth the Scriptures do decide, 

The church is God's own lawful bride ; 

He'll never own a son or daughter, 

Whose mother is a pond of water." 



74 SYMBOLIZES SPIRITUAL BAPTISM. 

The Pedo-Baptist version contends that 
water baptism is designed to symbolize spirit- 
ual baptism ; that it is a visible sign of an invis- 
ible work ; a divine ordinance, in the reception 
of which its subjects publicly profess faith in 
Christ; either by their own, or the guardian 
act of their parents. With this version our 
faith is in perfect harmony. And since we 
have shown both of the others to be false, this 
version must of necessity be true. In proving 
them false we have negatively proven this to 
be true. But Peter positively declares that 
water baptism is not the putting away of the 
filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good con- 
science toward God. Then the baptism, essen- 
tial to salvation, is that of the Spirit^ while 
water baptism is but its beautiful and appro- 
priate symbol. 

''Yet many think it very brave, 
To talk about a watery grave ! 
Yet stranger still, some others do, 
Make it a birth, and burial too. 
^Baptism a funeral and a birth I ' 
Was e'er a thing so strange on earth ? 
That we must under water go, 
A burial and a birth to show." 
When by one Spii'it we're baptized. 
Then is Christ's blood to us applied ; 
Then does the life of faith begin, 
We live to Christ, but die to sin : 
Our life with Christ, in God is hid. 
And here^s the haptism we all need. 



IMMERSION VERSUS AFFUSION. 75 

CHAPTER YII. 
The Mode of Water Baptism. 



Water baptism does not consist in mode or 
form. By mode we simply mean tlie way, or 
manner, in which water baptism should be ad- 
ministered. All are agreed that the mode 
adopted should be scriptual that the way we 
administer this sacred ordinance should have 
the sanction of divine authority. But the 
Christian world is not agreed as to what is the 
scriptural mode of water baptism. Some 
claim that immersion^ and others that affusion^ 
is the mode taught in the Scriptures. Of the 
two, we conscientiously believe, affusion is the 
apostolic, and only scriptural^ mode of adminis- 
tering water baptism. And if the validity of 
water baptism depends upon conformity to the 
apostolic manner of administration, we do not 
hesitate one moment to pronounce immersion 
invalid^ as well as unscriptural. But to the law 
and the gospel for the settlement of this ques- 
tion; for the Bible must be our guide. 

" To this fair proposition no one will object, 
Who really believes his creed is correct. 
Then too them we will go and find what they say, 
Than this, I am certain, their's no better way." 



76 there is no uniformity. 

Immersion is not a Scriptural Mode of 
Water Baptism. 

First ARauMENT. Webster says in de- 
fining this ordinance, '4t is the application of 
water to a person, as a religious ceremony." 
But immersion is an application of a subject to 
water, and not of water to a subject. There- 
fore, according to acknowledged authority, 
immersion is not water baptism. 

Second ARauMENT. There is no uniformity 
of opinion, or practice, among immersionists. 
It is optional with them whether they choose 
a river^ lake, pond or trough; water two or 
five feet deep. The candidate may immerse 
any where from one-fourth to nine-tenths of 
his own body and the administrator the re- 
mainder. Some dip but once, others thrice; 
some backwards, others forwards ; some about 
one-half, and others nothing but the head of 
the subject. 

'' Some plunge them three times, and others but once, 
And each thinks the other is acting the dunce : 
While those that stand off and look at the fight. 
Conclude that in this, they are both of them right. 
If dipping is baptism, to me it seems droll. 
That dipping one-half, is baptizing the whole. 
Yet if dipping is baptism, then must all men see, 
That the part dipped by each, a baptism must be I 
If each dips but half, no intelligent soul, 
Can think this is equal to dipping the whole. 



AN EaREGIOUS BLUNDER. 77 

When the work of immersing is thus done by two, 
There's one-half with which each had nothing to do! 
Here's a poser, for those who make the assertion, 
That "immersion is baptism, and baptism immersion." 

Third argument. Immersionists make an 
egregious blunder, in claiming that the Greek 
word hay-ti-zOy of which lap-to is the root, and 
bap-ti-zOj hap-tis-ma^ &c., are derivatives^, is 
specific; and hence points out the way, man- 
ner, or mode, of administering water baptism. 
While, the fact is hap-ti-zo is generic^ and con- 
sequently does not express mode at all. It 
simply tells us ivliat to do ; but not Tiow to do 
it. It says iaptize^ but, is as silent as deaths on 
the 7node of baptizing. To sustain their posi- 
tion, on this point, immersionists must prove 
that bap-ti-zo means to dip ; only to dip, and al- 
ways to dip. But when they go to the Greek 
lexicons they fail to find that bap-ti-zo signifies 
to dip ; only to dip, and always to dip. For Mr. 
Carson says, "I have all the Lexicographers 
and Commentators against me in this opinion." 
So with the classic writers, the Greek and 
Latin fathers and the numerous translations 
into other languages, as well as our own ver- 
sion; they are all against this position. And 

yet, 

That it must be by dipping, some people declare: 

But we've read the Bible through and know its not there. 

For many long years, some immersers have been 



78 IMMERSION NOT SCRIPTURAL, 

Laboring to prove that ''baptize means put in,^* 
And others, not knowing what they're about 
Are trying to prove that it means '' to take out." 
Immersion puts in, and em^ersion takes out, 
But that baptize means either, I very much doubt. 
Then no one should make the reckless assertion, 
That water baptism, in mode, is immersion. 

Fourth argument. There can not be one 
instance of water baptism cited, in the Bible, 
in which immersion was evidently the mode of 
administration. The only possible way to get 
a case of dipping is by inference. For the word 
immersion is not to be found in the Bible. 
Neither is dip^ plunge^ submerge^ or souze^ in 
connection with the administration of the 
ordinance of water baptism. 

"Take the Scriptures my brother, and read them all thro', 
And you doubtless will find what I've said to be true ; 
If not, mark the places, each chapter and verse, 
Where proof is direct, that baptize means immerse : 
If such proof is not found, don't dispute the assertion, 
That except for destruction, there was no immersion." 

Fifth argument. There are instances of 
water baptism on record, in which immersion 
was impossible. 

First instance. Paul had been three days in 
Damascus, without eating, or drinking, in deep 
penitence and prayer. The Lord sent Ananias 
to the house of Judas where he found Paul, 
and said. Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, 
that appeared to thee in the way as thou 



PAUL BAPTIZED STANDING 79 

earnest, hatli sent me that thou mightest re- 
ceive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy- 
Ghost. And immediately there fell from his 
eyes as it had been scales; and he received 
sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 
Paul was not immersed in the house of Judas, 
where he arose and was baptized. And he 
who believes that he went off to some river, 
and was immersed, can believe anything he 
pleases, jproo/, or no proof. The fact is, there 
is not a single instance on record, in which the 
apostles took subjects to river, pond, or lake 
for the purpose of baptizing them. And in 
this instance^ Ananias, knowing Paul had re- 
ceived the Spirit, said. Arise and be baptized; 
and he arose and was iaptizecL Immersion, in 
this instance, was an impossibility; therefore 
it is not a scriptural mode of water baptism. 

*' Well may the reader be surprised 
When folks lie down to be baptized, 
As every Bible reader knows, 
That for baptism, Paul arose," 
And not a man on earth can prove, 
That he, for baptism, one step did move! 

Second instance. Paul and Silas had been 
cast into prison, then thrust into the inner 
prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks. 
At midnight they prayed and sang praises unto 
God, a great earthquake shook the foundations 
of the prison of Phillippi, the doors flew open, 



80 THE PRISON OF PHILLIPPI. 

the bands of the prisoners were all loosed and 
the keeper was about to kill himself, supposing 
they had all escaped, when Paul said, Do thy- 
self no harm: for we are all here. The jailer 
sprang in, fell trembling before Paul and Silas, 
brought them out of the inner prison and said, 
Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They answer- 
ed. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
Shalt be saved and thy house. So the jailer 
took them the same hour of the night, washed 
their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his, 
straightway; that is, immediately^ even before 
they left the outer prison ; for they refused to 
go out privily, but demanded that the magis- 
trates take them out openly. A strange place 
for immersion, in a heathen jail. Impossible! 
But, 

" Some think they did the jailer take, 

Out to some river, pond, or lake : 

That they most surely took him off. 

Water to find ; or made a trough. 

Or had a pool to dip him in ; 

Many such guesses there have been. 

And all are subject to a lecture, 

Who disbelieve what they conjecture.''^ 

We learn they made no delay. 

But baptized him and his straightway. 

No truth then, in the base assertion, 

That the jailer's baptism was by immersion. 

Third instance. The baptism of the three 
thousand, on the day of Pentecost, could not 



THE BAY OT^ rjd^NTECOST. 81 

have been by immersion. If the apostles de- 
voted five hours to baptizing, they must have 
baptized one every six seconds. Who can 
believe they immersed that rapidly? Or who, 
without the slightest intimation, not to say 
proofs can believe that they immersed at all? 
It is unreasonable^ not to say ahsurd^ to claim 
such a thing. 

Against stern facts to argue, confusion surely brings ; 
To facts we always must submit, for they are stubborn 

things. 
If tnat can be that can not be, let some one tell us how : 
For facts and figures never before 7nere conjectures bow, 
Then show not your ignorance, in the groundless asser- 
tion. 
That ''on the day of Pentecost, baptism was by immer- 
sion." 

Sixth argument. Bible immersions are not 
water baptisms. The Bible records no im- 
mersion of men, except for their destruction. 
Instance, those who did not enter Noah's Ark, 
the hosts of Pharaoh at the Eed Sea, and the 
immersion of Jonah for his disobedience : also 
a swine immersion^ because possessed by a 
legion of devils. All of these subjects perish- 
ed except Jonah, who through prayer, was 
saved from immersion. We believe these are 
all the instances of immersion that Inspiration 
saw fit to record; therefore we conclude that 
Bible immersion, at least, is not a scriptural 
mode of water baptism. 



82 BIBLE IMMERSION WOT BAPTISM. 

From the teachings of Scripture we draw this deduction, 

That there was no immersion^ except for destruction! 

Now this is the truths and we further remark, 

Those were saved from immersion^ who entered the Ark. 

That 'twas a figure of baptism, can not be ignored. 

As over the Ark the water was poured ; 

And it can't be denied that those were accursed. 

Who for their unbelief were truly immersed! 

Then again : Bible readers must all be apprised. 

That the children of Israel were truly baptized. 

From Moses we have this plain declaration, 

That their foes were immersed upon that occasion : 

All those who were plunged^ were surely accursed ; 

While of the subjects of baptism, not one was immersed! 

Of all those baptized, not one was plunged in ; 

And all those immersed, were immersed for their sin. 

When back-slidden Jonah was over-board thrown, 

The plunging he got, was 'Hmmersion alone.''^ 

Perhaps some immersers, will say in this case 

''That while under water, conversion took place, 

And that here is good proof, that a three days immei^sion 

Of the subject, effected a real conversion." 

To such, we would say, we think it more fair. 

To attribute all this to effectual prayer! 

From all these plain facts, we draw this deduction. 

That 'twas not for salvation^ but for their destruction. 

So we think we may truthfully make this assertion. 

That except for destruction^ there was no immersion. 

Seventh AnauMENT. The passages, and 
instances relied upon by its advocates, do not 
prove immersion to be a scriptural mode of 
water baptism. The passages referred to, we 
have already noticed, under the head of design, 
and shown them to be references to spiritual^ 
and not to water baptism. 



PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH. 83 

We first instance^ the baptism of the Eunuch. 

Philip and the Eunuch both went down [eis) to, 

or into, the water and Philip baptized him. 

They both came up {ek) from, or out of, the 

water. The original, or a correct translation, 

you see, gives no countenance to the idea of 

immersion. But we will critically examine the 

translation in our own version, and see if it 

contains any proof of immersion. Philip and 

the Eunuch l)oth went down into, and hotli eame 

up out of the water. There is no proof here that 

one put the other in, or tooJc him out. For if 

into means under, they both ivent under; and if 

out of means from under, they both eaine from 

under. Hence, if these prepositions prove 

that one was immersed, they necessarily prove 

that both were immersed. Again, if they do 

not prove the immersion of botli^ they can not 

prove the immersion of either. But how can 

they prove the immersion of either^ or both^ 

when they can not, even, prove the water to 

have been ankle deep. The matter stands 

thus: if either J then both were immersed; but 

only one was baptized : therefore immersion is 

not a scriptural mode of water baptism. 

" Did PhiUp put the Eunuch in ? 
Is the question, and long has been : 
Of this the Scriptures do not speak, 
Neither the English nor the Greek. 
But in the context both agree, 



84 BAPTISM BY THE BAPTIST. 

That sprinkled the nations all should he, 

And Philip ne'er made such a hlunder, 

As to think that sprinkle meant put under. 

So the record tells all the rest ; 

He granted the Eunuch his request : 

And when baptized, as the Scriptures say, 

He went rejoicing on his way : 

But had he been baptised by dipping, 

He doubtless would have gone off dripping." 

We next instance^ baptism by John the Bap- 
tist. The fact that John was called, "the Bap- 
tist,'' does not prove that he was an immer- 
sionist. For if so, it would prove that he was 
the only immersionist^ being the only one called 
a Baptist. John baptized in Enon, near to Sa- 
lim, because there was much water^ or many 
waters there. We cannot tell whether the 
"much water'' was at Enon, or Salim. But 
admit that it was at Enon, and this does not 
prove that it was necessary to, or used for, the 
purpose of immersing the thousands of people 
who came to John's baptism, and needed much 
water for other purposes. But admit that the 
"much water," in this case, strengthens the 
immersion theory ; and you are forced to con- 
cede, that, in every other case of baptismal 
record, the want of "much water" weakens 
the argument in favor of immersion. 

John was a Local Preacher, each Bible reader knows : 
He went not to the people, as the traveling preacher goes. 
But the people of Judea, and of Jerusalem, 



JOHN A LOCAL PREACHER. 85 

Came to hear him preach, and he taught and baptized 
them. 

When such multitudes assembled, much water they 
would need, 

But unless the multitudes were great, of much we do 
not read. 

Much he would need for many folks, if he did not bap- 
tize any ; 

If he immersed, 'twould take as much to baptize few as 
many. 

I'm very sure that in John's day, there was no dipping 
done. 

Because the law required none, it might be done in fun. 

So then, we rightfully conclude, that this is man's in- 
vention, ^ 

Since i7nmersing, plunging, dipping in, the Scriptures no 
where mention. 

John also baptized {en) at, or in, Jordan. If 
m,this, however, does not even prove that he 
went into the water ankle deep, if at all ; much 
less does it prove that he immersed the people 
that lie baptized. To get a case of immersion, 
even in this instance, the advocates of this 
theory must first assume that they were in the 
water ; they must then conjecture that the wa- 
ter was deep enough, for dipping; and then 
guess^ after all, that John plunged them in^ they 
know not ivhy^ hoiv^ or lioiv often. With all of 
these facts before us we are thoroughly con- 
vinced that immersion is not a scriptural mode 
of water baptism. 

Yet, many seem to think that they must preach and 
write. 



86 



THE LATIN WORD IMMERSION. 



And "compass sea and land to make 2i proselyte.''' 
They say that they're commissioned to teach the people 
how 

The saints of old were baptized, and how to do it now; 
They tell us 'twas by dipping; and make the bold asser- 
tion, 

*'There is no Gospel baptism, where there's no immersion.'' 
Determined all shall see, that baptism is immersion, 
The Scriptures they've perverted, to an immersion version/ 
If you will take this version, and with care all through 
it look, ^ 

You'll find they've driven baptism entirely from the 

Book. 
Baptism is not in it ; but the Latin word immersion, 
Which has no religious meaning. Oh, what a gross per- 
version! 
Being under is immersion, whatever is the cause ; 
But 'tis not water baptism, so called by Chmstian laws. 
To immerse is to put under; of this there is no doubt:' 
This is its only meaning; then, it never means take out. 
So, if nothing but immersion, by Jesus was intended ; 
When you get them under water, the work if fully ended : 
For surely no one dare make such a false assertion. 
As to say, that taking out belongs to the word immersion; 
It only means put in; why then should you do more ? 
For taking of them out, undoes what you did before. 
Why, then, I ask, do more than just to put them under? 
" What God together joins, let no man put assunder;" 
Nor should we join together, what God has disunited : 
And who so doeth this,for cHme should be indicted. 
Yet this they surely do, who make this false assertion, 
That " immersion is baptism; and baptism is immersion ! " 

Affusion is a Scriptural Mode of Water 

Baptism. 

Proof first. Water baptism, as we have 



WATER BAPTISM A SYMBOL. 87 

shown, symbolizes spiritual baptism, and there- 
fore should be administered in the same way. 
The New Testament has but little to say on the 
mode of baptism, the Old Testament having 
already settled this matter. "- Thus shalt thou 
do unto them to cleanse them, sprinkle water 
of purifying upon them.'' Again, " So shall he 
(Christ) sprinkle many nations.'' But no 
prophet of God ever said that any of his peo- 
ple should be dipped, plunged, or immersed, 
either in water or spirit. They speak of sprinic' 
ling water, and giving the Spirit, pouring water, 
and the Spirit^ baptizing with water, and with 
the Holy Ghost. Spiritual baptism is by affu- 
sion. Peter, in speaking of spiritual baptism, 
said, '^poured out," "shed forth," and ''fell on 
them." God says, by the mouth of Joel, I will 
pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Peter said, 
on the day of Pentecost, this is that which was 
spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall 
come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will 
pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. But John 
the Baptist said of Christy he shall baptize you 
with the Holy Ghost and icith fire. Here is 
a clear case of spiritual baptism by affusion. 
Then water baptism, fitly to represent the bap- 
tism of the Spirit, must be administered, either 
by sprinkling or pouring; for the Spirit comes 
down like dew, descends like rain, is poured 



SPRINKLINO OR POURINa. 88 

out, shed forth, or falls on its subjects. This 
is in perfect harmony with the prophecy of 
Ezekiel: ''Then will I sprinkle clear water 
upon you, and ye shall be (ceremonially) clean, 
from all your filthiness and from all your idols 
will I cleanse you.'' 

From these plain scriptures, we reach this conclusion, 

That water baptism must he by affusion ; 

For they show there's no truth, in the assertion, 

That, God for his people ordained an immersion. 

They also rivet, upon our attention 

This fact, im7ne7'sion is of man's invention. 

We are forced then, to the lawful conclusion, 

That sc7^iptural baptisms, are all by affusion. 

Proof second. There are instances in 
which water baptism was evidently adminis- 
tered by affusion. The baptism of Cornelius, 
and his house, must have been by affusion. 
They received the Holy Ghost, and it reminded 
Peter of John's baptism ivith water, because "it 
fell on them, purifying their hearts by faith." 
Then Peter said. Can any man forbid water, 
that these should not be baptized, which have 
received the Holy Ghost as well as we. So 
they were baptized, then and tJiere^ in the name 
of the Lord, by affnsion. Chrisfs baptism was 
of necessity by affnsion. He was a Priest^ " a 
minister of the circumcison " lived under and 
fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law which re- 
quired sprinkling. When he came and de- 



CHRIST BAPTIZED BY AFFUSION. 89 

inaiided baptism of John, it was that the law 
might be fulfilled, and he consecrated^ at the 
appointed age, io the priestly of&ce. And 
when the Scribes and Pharisees demanded his 
authority for ministering the priestly of&ce at 
the Temple, he pointed them to John's baptism, 
saying, is it from heaven, or of men? As 
much as to say, here is my authority ; here I 
was anointed above my fellows. The priests, 
at their consecration, were anointed with oil, 
after the water had been sprinkled upon them ; 
but Christ, with the Holy Spirit, without meas- 
ure, at his baptismal consecration to the office 
that made him "a Priest forever after the 
order of Melchisedec.'' True Jesus came to^ 
and was doubtless baptized in Jordan; but 
this does not prove that he was even in the 
water, much less does it prove that he was 
under the water, though the original says he 
came up from the water. The translators of 
our version played upon the prepositions in 
this case, as in others, to try to make it read 
like it was dip. They were '^ Pedo-immersion- 
ists/' but dared not translate it dip, plunge, or 
immerse? But immersionists ask, why John 
baptized in Jordan, if he did not immerse? 
We answer, because he chose to do so. It 
was a convenient place for the multitudes to 
assemble. They could get plenty of water 



90 JOHN BAPTIZED BY AFFUSION. 

there. We ask, wliy did John baptize, in the 
wilderness, in Bethabara, and where Christ 
abode, if he did not sprinkle or pour? N'o an- 
swer. Did John baptize on dry land, and con- 
sequently by affusion? Or did Christ live in 
the water f Of course, Christ did not abide in 
the water; [then John baptized by affusion. 

Some think Christ was plunged, without any doubt, 

Because, of the water, he was said to come out. 

It is ''apo,^^ from. From the water he came ; 

Carson and Con ant acknowledge the same. 

" He came from the water ; " So says the New Version, 

Translated by those who believe in immerson! 

These immersionists say " Christ did not come out," 

Because *' apo means /rom," without any doubt. 

If he did not come out, how could he go in? 

Or how could his baptism, a dipping have been * 

The baptism of Christ, and of sinners vre see, 

Were not ^just alike, such a thing could not be. 

John taught his subjects, that they must need repent, 

The baptism of Christ, could have no such intent. 

Their baptism referred to remission of sin. 

Regarding the Saviour, this could not have been. 

But now let me say, under that dispensation, 

Thirty was the age, for the Priest's consecration. 

And none can tell why his age they should mention. 

Unless his baptism was for this intention. 

The law said sprinkle, therefore the conclusion 

Jesus was baptized^ and that by affusion. 

All Israel was baptized at the Bed Sea by affu- 
sion. Paul said. All our fathers were under 
the cloud, and all passed through the sea ; and 
were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and 
in the sea ; and all did drink of that Spiritual 



THE CLOUDS POURED OUT WATER. 91 

Eock that followed them ; and that Eock was 
Christ. Christ was present then at this bap- 
tism. He administered the ordinance. Per- 
haps these were the first subjects, and Christ 
the first administrator of this sacred ordi- 
nance. But how did Christ baptize them? 
Not by immersion, for they passed over dry 
shod. Then it must have been by affusion, for 
the Psalmist says '' The clouds poured out wa- 
ter " upon them, as Cod led his people, by the 
hand of Moses, through his path in the great 
waters and his way in the sea. This is a clear 
case of water baptism by affusion. Therefore 
affusion is a scriptural mode of water baptism. 

To be sure Bible readers must all be apprized, 

That the children of Israel were truly baptized; 

How this could be dipping^ no one has yet found, 

For they passed through the sea upon the dry ground ! 

We've a word now to say about Dr. Carson, 

That logical, bold, and renowned Baptist Parson 

Who speaking of Moses, says, as we may read, 

" He got a dry dip.'^ A dry dip indeed ! 

This is the best dip I've read about yet, 

But the dip Pharaoh got, was really wet. 

He may choose the wet dip, I am certain that I, 

If I must have a dip, would prefer one that's dry! 

Once more we're forced to the happy conclusion, 

That water baptism must be by affusion. 

Proof third. Many of the places^ where 
water baptism was administered, prove that it 
was by affusion. Neither John, nor any of the 
apostles ever left house, city, or village, to 



92 PLACES OF BAPTISM. 

baptize any one. Wherever they preached, 
the record shows, that then and there they also 
baptized. With immersionists the place^ in one 
or two instances, has a great deal to do with 
the mode ; but in all other instances they hoot 
at the idea that the place of administration 
should have any thing at all to do with the 
manner of baptism. They should remember 
that John not only baptized in Jordan and 
Bnon; but also in Bethabara, beyond Jor- 
dan and where Christ abode: and that the 
twelve and seventy went into cities and vil- 
lages where they "made and baptized more 
disciples than John'' ever did in Jordan, or 
elsewhere. As to place, there are many in- 
stances of baptismal record where it could not 
have been by immersion; none where it is un- 
questionably certain that it could have been by 
immersion : none where it could not have been 
by affusion ; and many where it must of neces- 
sity have been by affusion. Therefore we af- 
firm that the places of water baptism prove af- 
fusion to be the scriptural mode. 

This proof against immersion, in scripture we have 

found, 
That many hundred thousand men were baptized on 

dry ground. 
To call this baptism, dipping, is what we can not see! 
For baptism on dry land, a dipping could not be. 
This death-blow to immersion, against their creed must 

stand, 



BAPTIZED WITH WATER. 93 

Till they immerse some one or more, while standing on dry 

land. 
Then turn the subject as we may, up comes the right 

conclusion : 

Water baptis7n, as to mode^ is always by affusion. 

Proof fourth. The Scriptures always say- 
baptized with water, but never in water. In, 
is used five times, in connection with baptism, 
but simply points out the place — tells where 
the baptism occured. While with^ is used 
seventeen times, nine referring to water, and 
eight to spiritual baptism, always points to the 
element used, and indicates clearly the mode 
of administration. What Jolin did with water 
he called baptism; and what Christ did with 
Spirit he called baptism. That one was by af- 
fusion we know; that the other was not by 
affusion, no man can prove. That neither was 
by immersion, is a self-evident fact. Because 
we can not dip a subject with an element; but 
in an element. If we dip at all it must be m, 
and not with water. Here is the scripture; 
sprinkle water, give the Spirit; pour water, 
pour the Spirit; baptize with water, and bap- 
tize with the Holy Ghost. 

Christ and John baptized with^ so the Scriptures say 
^Tw as pouring out and falling on, the only scriptural way. 
That 'tis a better way there's no shadow of doubt. 
Than plunging people in and pulling of them out. 
Once more are we driven^ to the happiest conclusion, 
That both of these baptisms were administered by affusion. 



94 BAPTISTS AND PEDO-BAPTISTS. 

OHAPTEE yill. 
The Subjects of Water Baptism. 



With reference to the subjects of water bap- 
tism, the Christian world is divided into Pedo- 
Baptists and Anti-Pedo-Baptists, or Baptists 
and Pedo-Baptists. The Baptists believe only 
in adult baptism ; while Pedo-Baptists believe 
also in infant baptism. Some Pedo-Baptists 
are immersionists : and, visa versa^ some Bap- 
tists are affusionists. In other words, some 
who think infants ought to be baptized, believe 
that immersion is the scriptural mode of water 
baptism ; while others who think adults^ only, 
ought to be baptized, believe that affusion is 
the scriptural mode of administration. In the 
absence of better names, we will just call them 
PedO'immersionists and Bapto- affusionists. But 
we are after the scriptural subjects of water 
baptism now. 

Adult Baptism. 

Adults who exercise repentance toward God, 
faith in Christ and receive spiritual baptism^ 
are scriptural subjects for water baptism. 
These are the only conditions upon which we 
are authorized to baptize adults. 



REPENTANCE AND FAITH NECESSARY. 95 

First test Eepentance is necessary. John 
baptized with, water unto repentance: he 
preached and baptized with the baptism of 
repentance ; and refused to baptize the Phari- 
sees and Sadducees for want of evidence of 
repentance ; saying, Bring forth therefore fruits 
meet for repentance. Peter demanded repent- 
ance before baptism on the day of Pentecost. 
*^ Eepent and be baptized,'' is the royal edict. 
Therefore repentance is a condition to water 
baptism. 

Second test. Faith is also a necessity. Ee- 
pentance and faith are inseparably connected. 
They are parts of one and the same act of the 
soul. Eepentance in its completion neces- 
sarily ends in faith. They are parts of the one 
step that takes us out of a state of sin into a 
state of grace — out of a lost, into a saved state. 
When one is expressed the other is always im- 
plied: hence they are used inter-changably as 
the conditions of salvation. John told his 
subjects that they should believe on Christ 
Jesus. Paul and Silas required the jailer to 
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ before they 
baptized him. And Philip demanded that the 
Ethiopean eunuch should believe with all his 
heart before he would baptize him. "If thou 
believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" 
be baptized, is Heaven's wise decree. There- 



96 SPIRITUAL BAPTISM ESSENTIAL. 

fore faith is also a condition to water baptism. 
Third test. Spiritual baptism is absolutely 
essential. Eepentance and faith are followed, 
instantly^ by the baptism of the Spirit. "He 
that believeth and is (immediately) baptized 
(with the Soly Ghost) shall be saved.'' The 
apostles did not baptize on the day of Pente- 
cost until after the people had been baptized 
with the Spirit. The Holy Ghost fell on Cor- 
nelius and his company, and, though the first 
Gentile converts, Peter, who held the keys to 
the kingdom of heaven, regarded it as satis- 
factory evidence of their qualification for water 
baptism, unlocked the doors of the visible 
church, commanded them to be baptized in the 
name of the Lord and received them at once 
into christian fellowship with the Jews. We 
hope you have followed this line of test argu- 
ment. Water baptism is conditioned upon re- 
pentance ^ repentance must end infaitJi; faith is 
instantly followed by spiritual baptism^ and this 
qualifies the adult for membership in the vis- 
ible kingdom, and makes him a scriptural sub- 
ject for water baptism. 

INFANT BAPTISM. 

All infants of christan parents are scriptural 
subjects for water baptism. 
Plea first. Parents are the divinely appoint- 



PARENTS, children's GUARDIANS. 97 

ed guardians of their children. A guardian, 
under civil law, represents and acts for his 
ward. So parents, under ecclesiastical law, 
legitimately represent and act for their child- 
ren. It is not only the privilege, but also the 
bounden duty of all christian parents to dedi- 
cate their children, while in infancy, to God. 
If they do so in the proper spirit, and train 
them up in the way they should go, they may 
claim the fulfillment of the precious promise, 
which is to them and their children, and will 
receive the divine blessing; for "when they 
are old they will not depart from it.'' In fact, 
all parents are under moral obligations to come 
to Christ, bring their children and place them, 
tenderly and affectionately^ in the arms of his 
mystical body, where they can be brought up 
in the fear, nurtu.re and admonition of the Lord. 
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and 
forbid them not : for of such is the kingdom 
of God, said Jesus, in his displeasure, to his 
disciples when they rebuked those parents 
who brought unto him "young children" and 
"also infants" that he might touch them. 
"And he took them in his arms, put his hands 
upon them, and blessed them." Parents are 
subjects of Christ's visible kingdom. Their 
children are born into this kingdom; and are 
naturally^ and necessarily ^ subjects of its King. 



98 CHILDREN THE LORD'S HERITAaE. 

They are Christ's, and members of his visible 
kingdom, because their parents are. These 
"children are a heritage of the Lord." All 
agree, that every member of the visible church 
is^ or ought to be baptised. Consequently, 
the infant children, of all christian parents, 
are entitled to and ought to receive water bap- 
tism. 

Plea second. As a rule, water baptism is a 
blessing to children. It needs only to be the 
seal of true covenant relationship between God 
and the parent, and the blessing will follow ; 
good will result to the child. For God will 
not only visit the iniquity of fathers upon their 
children: the Lord will also remember his 
righteous covenants with parents, to their child- 
ren's children, even to the third and fourth 
generations. But you ask; what good does 
it do the infant to baptize it? We might just 
as pertinently ask; what good did it do babies 
eight days old to circumcise them? We an- 
swer both questions at once. All the good 
that this covenant relationship has in store for 
them. Paul says, " much every way." But how 
much^ Heaven only knows. Therefore infants 
of believing parents are scriptural subjects of, 
and ought to be brought into covenant rela- 
tionship with God, through the ordinance of 
water baptism. 



HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 99 

Plea third. Houseliold baptisms furnish a 
strong presumptive plea in favor of infant bap- 
tism. The Gentiles were usually proselyted to 
the Jewish faith by whole families. So they 
were frequently converted to Christianity, in 
the days of the apostles ; and the parents, with 
all th^ children, big and little^ " the household,'' 
the entire family^ were baptized with water, 
and added to the church. Some few of these 
household baptisms are mentioned by the 
apostles, without the slightest intimation that 
the little ones were left out in a single instance. 
Hence ^' young children'' are scriptural sub- 
jects of, and ought to be brought to Christ, 
through the ordinance of water baptism. 

Plea fourth. There are instances of water 
baptism on record^ where children were 
evidently baptized. We cite first the baptism 
of all Israel. Pharaoh refused at first to let 
them take their children with them. But 
Moses said, We will go with our young and 
with our old, with our sons and with our 
daughters. So Pharaoh was forced to say. Go 
ye, serve the Lord ; let your little ones also go 
with you. So Israel journeyed, a mixed mul- 
titude, about six hundred thousand men, be- 
side children. And the Lord went before by 
day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pil- 
lar of fire, to give them light. And the child- 



100 STRONa PLEA FOR INFANT BAPTISM. 

ren of Israel went down into the midst of the 
sea, and passed over on dry ground; '^the 
clouds poured out water," and they " were all 
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the 
sea." Here is a clear case of infant baptism 
by the wholesale. Therefore infants, "little 
ones," are scriptural subjects of water baptism, 
Anti-Pedo-Baptists to the contrary notwith- 
standing. 

We cite, in the second place, the baptism, by 
John, of " Jerusalem, and all the region round 
about Jordan." Matthew evidently meant the 
inhabitants of these places : among whom were 
men, women and children. And any rule that 
would exclude the children because they are 
not particularized^ would also exclude the 
women for the same reason : and any reasoning 
that would exclude the women and children^ 
would just as certainly exclude the men. The 
divine record says, " There went out unto him 
all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem 
and were all baptized of him ; all, all, ALL ; 
men^ women and children. Here then is an- 
other strong plea for infant baptism; for we 
cannot infer, as in household baptisms, that 
there were no small children in Jerusalem, all 
Judea, and all the region round about Jordan. 
This woifld be most too large an inference^ even 
for an Anti-Pe do -Baptist of the deepest dye. 



JOHN A PEDO-BAPSIST. 101 

John did you baptize all of the inhabitants of 
these places ; men women and children ? The 
sacred record is true; I baptized them all. 
Well, you must have been a strange Baptist I 
must say. O yes ! I have it now, you was a 
Pedo-Baptist! as we Baptists call them now. 
I suppose I was, for I baptized witJij not in water. 
I also baptized in the wilderness^ as well as in 
Jordan. The law, under which I lived, said the 
people should be sprinlcledj not immersed', and 
a part of my mission in making ready a people 
prepared for the Lord, was ''To turn the hearts 
of the fathers to the children.'^ Therefore I 
baptized " all the people," parents, " little ones,'' 
and all^ by sprinkling water upon them, just 
as Pedo-Baptists do now. I was not called 
the Baptist^ because, unlike others, I immersed 
the people, or refused to baptize babies ; but 
simply because I baptized so many of both 
adults and infants. So I have no objection at 
all to being called a Pedo-Baptist. 

We cite, in the third place, the babtism of the 
three thousand on the day of Pentecost. Peter 
preached a powerful sermon. The people 
were deeply convicted and asked, what they 
should do. Peter answered, '' Eepent, and be 
baptized every one of you/^ big, little, old and 
young : " for the promise is unto yon and your 
children.^^ "Then they that gladly received 



102 THE PROMISE OF PROPHECY. 

his word were baptized: and the same day- 
there were added unto them about three thou- 
sand souls,'' men, women and children. "And 
the Lord added unto the church daily such as 
should be saved." Here is the fulfillment of 
the promise of prophecy to the church. In 
the midst of her desolation Zion said, The 
Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath for- 
gotten me. The Lord answered. Behold, I 
have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, 
thy children shall make haste. Sing, O heavens, 
and be joyful, O earth; for the Lord hath com- 
forted his people. Zion — Who hath begotten 
me these, seeing I have lost my children, and 
am desolate, a captive, and removing too and 
fro ? and who hath brought up these ? Behold 
I was left alone; these, where had they been? 
The Lord — Behold, I will lift up my hand to 
the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the 
people : and they shall bring thy sons in their 
arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon 
their shoulders, and I will save thy children ; 
and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord am 
thy Saviour and thy Eedeemer, the mighty one 
of Jacob." 

This is in perfect harmony with the great 
commission, Go ye therefore, and teach all 
nations, baptizing them (that is the nations, 
which are composed of men, women and child- 



CIRCUMCISION VERSUS BAPTISM. 103 

ren) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them (the 
parents, and through the parents the children) 
to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you: and lo, I am with you alway, 
even unto the end of the world. 

Flea fifth. Water baptism, under the new, 
is analogous to, if it does not come in lieu of 
circumcision under the old dispensation. 
Circumcision, for males only, was well adapted 
to an age in which women were held in slavish 
subjection to their tyranical lords. But water 
baptism, for males and females, is equally well 
adapted to an age in which woman's worth and 
true nobility are ever recognized. Circum- 
cision sustained the same relation to the law, 
that baptism does to the gospel. But true 
circumcision is that of the heart, while outer 
circumcision is but its sign, and represents 
the removing of sin by cutting off. Then the 
essential baptism is that of the Spirit, and 
water baptism is but its sign, denoting the 
removal of sin by washing away. Infants were 
circumcised under the law. If it did them any 
good whatever, then the law was more gracious 
than is the gospel, if it denies them water bap- 
tism. But this is not the case. Circumcision 
was a gracious institution, and " profltted much 
every way." But the Gospel dispensation is 



104 THE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS. 

one in wMcli grace abounds, and both adults 
and infants enjoy greater privileges than under 
the law dispensation. Infants were circumcised 
and saved, without faith, under the law. Can 
the gospel be less gracious, and deny them 
salvation and water baptism ? Never ! For, if 
it does, then our children are not as well pro- 
vided for under the gospel, as were the child- 
ren of the Jews under the law. The new cov- 
enant, as well as the old, includes the children. 
Therefore they are scriptural subjects, and 
graciously entitled to all the benefits and im- 
munities growing out of water baptism. 

Plea sixth. The testimony of the fathers in 
favor of infant baptism is most conclusive. 
Origen, the great historian, said "they ob- 
tained the custom of baptizing infants from 
the apostles." Cyprian said, "Sixty-six Bishops 
being convened in a council at Carthage, hav- 
ing the question referred to them, whether in- 
fants might be baptized before they were eight 
days old, decided unanimously that no infant 
is to be prohibited from the benefit of baptism, 
although but just born.'' St. Augustine, re- 
ferring to infant baptism, said this " doctrine 
is held by the whole church, not instituted by 
councils, but always retained.'' We might add 
the testimony of Jerome, Crysostom, Ambrose, 
and in fact, of nearly all the Christian fathers : 



TYPE AND ANTI-TYPE. 105 

but we will close with that of Pelagius who 
said, ''Men slander me, as if I denied the sacri- 
ment of baptism to infants. I never heard of 
any, not even the most impious heritic^ who 
denied baptism to infants." Dr. Wall, of 
highest ecclesiastical authority, says, "Infant 
baptism was never called in question until the 
Twelfth century.'^ Then infants are entitled 
to, and should be baptized with water. 

Plea seventh. Infants were members of the 
visible kingdom under the old, and there is not 
even an intimation that they were to be denied 
membership under the new dispensation. 
Where prejudice has not dethroned reason, 
innocent infancy, in the visible church, is "like 
apples of gold in pictures of silver." But 
Anti-Pedo-Baptists say the old, was but a type 
of the new church. If we admit it they gain 
nothing; for the anti-type must agree with the 
type. If the metalic type read, infant memher- 
ship and infant baptism^ so will its anti-type. 
There must ie an agreement between type and 
anti-type. But if a "new church" was organ- 
ized on the day of Pentecost, its membership 
was made up of Jews ; for it was eight years 
before the first Gentile family was admitted. 
We submit the question then ; if their children 
were to be excluded under the reign of grace, 
after enjoying church relationship for two 



106 CHRIST A SHEPHERD. 

thousand years, would not something have 
been said to that effect? and if rejected, after 
being included in the promises of the gospel, 
would not their parents have stubbornly re- 
volted against such an unnatural, not to say 
unjust, procedure? 

We now submit five questions, relative to 
infant membership and baptism; and will 
answer them in unwrested scriptures, which we 
trust will settle, at once and forever, in your 
minds, the subject of infant baptism. 

First question. Was Christ called a shep- 
herd f Awake, O sword against my shepherd, 
saith the Lord of hosts : smite the shepherd, 
and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will 
turn my hand (in mercy) upon the little ones. 
And it shall come to pass^ saith the Lord, two 
parts therein shall be cut off and die ; but the 
third shall be left therein. And I will refine 
them as silver is refined, and will try them as 
gold is tried: I will say, It is my people: and 
they shall say, The Lord is my God. Christ 
said, I am the good shepherd: the good shep- 
herd giveth his life for the sheep. I am the 
good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am 
known of mine : and I lay down my life for the 
sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not 
of this fold; them also I must bring, and they 
shall hear my voice; and there shall be one 



THE CHURCH A FLOCK. 107 

fold, and one sheplierd. Peter said, to tlie 
strangers to whom he directed his first epistle. 
For ye were as sheep going astray; but are 
now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of 
your souls. Paul in his benediction upon the 
Hebrews said, I^ow the God of peace^ that 
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, 
that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through 
the blood of the everlasting covenant, make 
you perfect through Jesus Christ ; to whom be 
glory forever and ever. Amen. And when the 
Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive 
a crown of glory that fadeth not away. CI. list 
then was^ and is a shepherd. 

Second question. Was Christ's visible king- 
dom, or church, called a flock ? The Psalmist 
said, O, God, thou ledest thy people like a 
flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. And 
again. He made his own people to go forth 
like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness 
like a flock. Christ said to his disciples. Fear 
not, little JlocTc ; for it is the Father's good 
pleasure to give you the kingdom. Paul said, 
to the elders of Ephesus, Take heed therefore 
unto yourselves and to all the fiock^ over the 
which the Holy Ghost hath made you over- 
seers, to feed the church of God, which he 
hath purchased with his own blood. For I 
know this, that after my departing shall grevi- 



108 THE LAMBS OF THE FLOCK. 

ous wolves enter in among you, not sparing 
the flock. Peter said, in a general exhortation 
to tlie elders of the visible kingdom, Feed the 
flock of God, which is among you, taking the 
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but will- 
ingly; not for filthy luchre, but of a ready 
mind; neither as being lords over God's heri- 
tage, but being ensamples to the flock. These 
answers settle the question. Christ's visible 
church is called A flock. 

Third question. Are there any lambs in 
Christ's flock? Isaiah, in prophecy, said of 
Christ, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: 
he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and 
carry them in his bosom. Zechariah said, 
Smite the shepherd, and the sheep (flock) shall 
be scattered: and I will turn mine hand (in 
blessings) upon the little ones. Then there are 
LAMBS in Christ's flock. 

Fourth question. Who are the lambs in 
Christ's flock? The disciples said unto Jesus, 
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of hea- 
ven? And Jesus called a little child unto 
him, and set him in the midst of them, and said. 
Verily I say unto you. Except ye be converted, 
and become as little children^ ye shall not (in 
reality) enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as 
this little childj the same is the greatest in the 



THESE LAMBS ARE THE BABIES. 109 

kingdom of heaven. Then were brought unto 
him little children^ that he should put his hands 
on them, and pray: and his disciples rebuked 
them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children^ 
and forbid them not, to come unto me : for of 
such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid 
his hands on them and departed thence. And 
they brought young children to him, that he 
should touch them: and his disciples rebuked 
those that brought them. But when Jesus 
saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto 
them. Suffer the little children to come unto 
me, and forbid them not : for of such is the 
kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, 
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom 
of God as a little child shall in no wise 
enter therein. Then, the lamhs of Christ's 
flock, that he gathered in his arm and carried 
in his bosom, and the little ones among his sheep, 
upon whom he turned his hand so lovingly, 
were the little children^ the young children and 
also the infant children that Jesus, the tender 
shepherd took in his arms of affection and 
blessed so fondly. These lainbs are the iaMes 
out of whose mouths praise was perfected 
when they cried, at his triumphal entrance into 
Jerusalem, Hosanna to the son of David: 
Hosanna in the highest. 
Fifth question. Is it the will of the good 



110 THE TWO SANCTIFICATIONS. 

shepherd, that these lambs of his flock should 
be baptized ? There is a real^ and also a min- 
isterialj or ceremonial sanctification taught in 
the Bible. The real sanctification is by spirit- 
ual baptism. Proof of which is found in the 
following passages; Elect according to the 
fore knowledge of God the Father, through 
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and 
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Be- 
cause God hath from the beginning chosen you 
to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit 
and belief of the truth. The ceremonial sanc- 
tification is by water baptism. Proof of which 
is found in the following passage ; Husbands, 
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the 
churchy and gave himself for it ; that he might 
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water 
by the word. Here are the two sanctifications, 
by*the two baptisms. But the question is; does 
Christ will the ceremonial sanctification, which 
is by water baptism, of the children of the 
church? Let Joel answer this question in his 
prophesy referring to both the ceremonial and 
spiritual sanctification of the remnant of the 
church on the day of Pentecost. Blow the 
trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn 
assembly : gather the people, sanctify the con- 
gregation^ assemble the elders, gather the child- 
ren^ and those that suclc the breasts : let the bride- 



AN UNBROKEN CHAIN. Ill 

groom go forth of Ms chamber, and the bride 
out of her closet. Then will the Lord pity his 
people. And it shall come to pass afterward, 
that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; 
and your sons and your daughters shall 
prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, 
your young men shall see visions: and also 
upon the servants and upon the handmaids in 
those days will I pour out my Spirit. There 
it is, just as it was at the Eed Sea, the cere- 
monial sanctification, by water baptism, of the 
little children^ even those that such the breasts. 
We hope you have followed this unbroken 
chain of argument in our last plea for infant 
baptism. Christ is a shepherd; the visible 
church is his flocJc; it contains lambs ; they are 
little children^ infants, those that sucJc the breasts, 
and it is the will of Christ that these little ones 
be baptized with water. Therefore the infants 
of all christian parents are scriptural subjects 
of water baptism. 



The Kingdom of God. 

CHAPTEE IX. 
The Spiritual Church. 



The spiritual, and carnal dmrch are not iden- 
tical. One is visible, the other invisible; one 
natural, the other supernatural; one organic 
and the other inorganic. The membership 
then, of this spiritual kingdom, is spiritual, 
invisible and inorganic. It is composed of the 
souls^ or spirits of all christians. These spirits 
are invisible, and therefore can not be or- 
ganized. This kingdom has none but a spirit- 
ual membership. For Christ said, Except a 
man be born again he cannot see the kingdom 
of God. 

We distinguish things by their differences, 
not by their points of resemblance. There is 
this difference between the visible and invisi- 
ble church — ^the kingdom of heaven and the 
kingdom of God. In the one we have the 
good and the bad, the pure and the vile of 
earth, all in, visible, corrupt organization : while 
in the other we have nothing that defileth, or 
maketh unclean ; nothing but the redeemed 



THE FOUNTAIN HEAD. 113 

spirits of the just, made perfect through the 
blood of the everlasting covenant. " For flesh 
and blood can not inherit the kingdom of God.'' 
The fountain head of this great spiritual 
kingdom is found in a triune God: God in the 
persons of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 
There is trinity in almost every thing around 
us. Trinity in nature, trinity in man, trinity in 
life, trinity in death, trinity in the church and 
trinity in God. With reference to this world, 
this triune God established this spiritual king- 
dom in the heart of the first believing soul of 
our fallen race. Whether that was Adam, 
Eve, or Abel, we know not. But, here we find 
the spiritual kingdom in its incipiency. It is 
very small: fills but one soul with joy and 
gladness. " It is like a grain of mustard seed, 
which a man took and cast into his garden ; 
and it grew and waxed a great tree, and the 
fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it." 
So the kingdom of God established — the seed 
of God sown, in a single hearty sprang up, 
began to grow, and spread from heart to heart, 
as it passed on down through the fleeting 
centuries, ever widening and deepening, as it 
swept grandly on, in its majestic march, until 
it numbered its subjects by thousands, and 
multiplied thousands, even under the old dis- 
pensation. 



114 THE TRUE ISRAEL. 

IsToah, a preacher of rigMeonsness, had an 
interest in this kingdom. Abraham, Isaac and 
Jacob were all identified with this spiritual 
kingdom. All of the patriarchs, prophets, 
priests and kings, who were holy men of God, 
were also humble subjects of this great spirit- 
ual kingdom. And all who ate of that spiritual 
food, and drank of that spiritual Eock, which 
followed the visible church through the wilder- 
ness, were recipients of the blessings of the 
kingdom of God. John the Baptist, who was 
filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's 
womb, was thus early born of the Spirit and 
had a special and abiding interest in the king- 
dom of God. To this spiritifel kingdom be- 
longed all of the true Israel of God, with the 
many who are to come from the East, West, 
'North and South and sit down, with Abraham^ 
Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of ultimate 
glory. God has never been left without a true 
Israel since the establishment of his kingdom 
in the world. Elijah thought at one time that 
he alone was left ; but God informed him that 
there were seven thousand^ in Israel, who had 
not bowed the knee to Baal. So this spiritual 
kingdom has always had its consecrated mem- 
bership; its loyaly true^ devoted^ loving hearts. 
It has ever been "a chosen generation, a royal 
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people," 



THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 115 

offering spiritual sacrifices, holy and acceptable 
unto God. 

We must not lose sight of the fact that 
Christ is verily God; and that he is the king 
of this spiritual kingdom. " For this ye know, 
that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor 
covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any 
inheritance in the kingdom of Christy and of 
God; who hath delivered us from the power of 
darkness, and hath translated us into the 
kingdom of Ms dear 8on/^ 

We have already shown that this spiritual, 
kingdom was united with the visible kingdom 
at the ushering in of the Gospel dispensation. 
This important union, under Christ, the legiti- 
mate heir to both kingdoms, constituted a dual 
Mngdom of increased power and efficiency in 
the world. The spiritual kingdom is now more 
permanently established. It has taken a deeper, 
stronger hold upon the hearts and consciences 
of the people than ever before. The kingdom 
of God has come with potver and great glory. 
Evidences of increased power, and manifesta- 
tions of divine glory, in this dual kingdom, are 
to be seen on every hand. The deaf hear ; the 
dumb talk; the blind see; the dead live, and 
multiplied thousands are being born of the 
Spirit, filled with the Holy Ghost, and added 
to the visible kingdom such as shall be saved. 



116 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 

This dual kingdom is the world's great "bea- 
con light." Christ said of her, Ye are the light 
of the world. And as she stands, in her love- 
liness, upon the strands of time, she ever 
beckons the world onward and upward, with 
her beams of light and floods of glory, break- 
ing in upon -the shores of eternity. She is 
most emphatically the grand "Light House" 
of the world. Her light shines by day and by 
night. In her, because she is in God, there is 
no darkness at all ; but her light so shines that 
others seeing her good works are constrained 
to glorify God. And the burden of her, heart- 
moving and soul-stirring^ song is, "Now is 
come salvation, and strength and the kingdom 
of our God, and the power of his Christ." Now 
in fulfillment of her heaven-born mission, she 
is sending the messengers of life and light 
" throughout every city and village, preaching 
and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom 
of God. 

This spiritual kingdom is of divine prigin. 
Christ said of it, before he took charge of the 
visible church ; but now is my kingdom not of 
this world. It is from heaven, though estab- 
lished in this world. "The kingdom of God 
cometh not with observation." It can not be 
seen, because spiritual. "Neither shall they 
say, Lo here, or Lo there, for (it is not located 



ITS TRUE DOMINION. 117 

as are the kingdoms of this world) behold, the 
kingdom of God is within you," invisibly located 
in the soul. The origin, spirit and mission of 
this kingdom, are all heavenly. Hence it be- 
stows the richest temporal, as well as spiritual 
blessings on the world. " Seek ye first the 
kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and 
all these things shall be added into you.'' But 
its true dominion is in the soul. Here it 
reigns supreme. " For the kingdom of God is 
not meat and drink; but righteousness, and 
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.'' Wherever 
you find a soul full of righteousness, peace^ and 
joy in the Soly Gliost ; whether in time, or 
eternity ; whether in this or the eternal world, 
there you will find established this spiritual 
kingdom — the kingdom of God. 

This spiritual kingdom can not be inherited 
by the unrighteous, effeminate, abusers of 
themselves with mankind, nor by thieves, 
covetous, drunkers, revilers or extortioners. 
Not one of these characters, as such, can en- 
ter or enjoy this kingdom: for they are desti- 
tute of righteousness, and this is a kingdom of 
righteousness ; destitute of peace, and this is a 
kingdom of peace; destitute of joy in the Holy 
Ghost, and this is preeminently a kingdom of 
joy, unspeakable and full of glory, shed abroad 
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given 



118 WITH SWEETEST ASSURANCE. 

unto US. But thousands of these characters, 
cleansed from all their filthiness, washed, sanc- 
tified, and justified in the name of Jesus and 
by the Spirit of our God, have entered into the 
enjoyment of this spiritual kingdom, with 
sweetest assurance of joys eternal and pleas- 
ures which are lasting and forevermore. For 
this kingdom embraces all, of every age and 
clime, who are united, by the Spirit, to Christ 
as their divine Head: and also proffers bless- 
ings untold, to all who will throw off the 
shackles of sin, don the robe of Christ's right- 
eousness, confessing allegiance to him as King 
of kings and Lord of lords. 

This spiritual kingdom is a kingdom of power. 
Though invisible, there is latent power in it 
suflScient to move the world. For the king- 
dom of God is not in word, but in power ^ said 
the Saviour. The kingdom of God is like 
leaven hid in meal ; it was small at first, barely 
discernable ; but it has been constantly work- 
ing, gradually growing, and ever increasing in 
vital power, as the ages melted away, until its 
divine influence is felt far and near ; and it is 
destined, sooner or later, to leaven the whole 
mass of mankind, the world over. For when 
we note the recent changes of attitude, among 
many heathen nations, toward the gospel ; and 
the wide-spread interest, and deep-seated spir- 



MATCHLESS POWER AND aLORY. 119 

ituality that pervades the army of the Lord in 
Christian lands, we are forced to the conclu- 
sion, that truly, the kingdom of God is coming 
with matcliless power and transcendent glory. 
We see that the leaven is still working, and as 
christians we can but rejoice at the many evi- 
dences, of the final triumph of this spiritual 
kingdom, which are constantly floating to the 
service in the form of gospel victories. Since 
its union with the visible, into one grand dual 
kingdom, in which the head, heart, and hand, 
of the Lord's great army, are united to do bat- 
tle for the Master, marvelous indeed have been 
the spread, growth, progress and conquests of 
the kingdom of God in the world. Thus the 
church militant moves steadily on from con- 
quest to victory, toward the day of her final, 
and universal triumph over satan's kingdom. 
This spiritual, is a kingdom difficult of en- 
trance. Its " strait and narrow gate '' is faith- 
fully guarded day, and night, against intruders. 
To enter it requires the supreme affections of 
the heart. The uppermost seat in our affec- 
tions must be consecrated to Christ. We must 
love God with all the soul — with supreme love. 
If any thing gets between us and the Saviour 
it must he removed. The more we love it, the 
more difficult it will be to remove it. O, how 
difficult it is for those who have their affections 



120 A LOOK AT THE CROSS. 

centered on the things of this world, to lose 
sight of all, for a look at the cross ! It is sel- 
dom we can induce them to make the neces- 
sary sacrifice. "How hardly shall they that 
have riches enter into the kingdom of God.'' 
Oh ! how few of us, at heart, prefer Christ and 
the cross to the pleasures, riches and honors 
of this life ! How few are willing, if need be, 
to forsake all for Christ and his cause ! And 
yet nothing short of such consecration to the 
cross will suffice. If we have sins, as dear as 
the right hand, we must cut them off; or if, 
dearer than the right eye, we must pluck them 
out; for "we must through much tribulation, 
enter into the kingdom of God.'' 

But once in this kingdom, and we are saved. 
We only enter it through a spiritual birth — 
being born of God. We can entec, in no other 
way. " Except a man be born of the Spirit he 
can not enter into the kingdom of God." But 
once in this kingdom, the only concievable way 
to get out, since none can pluck us out, is to 
sin out. But this we can not do, because we 
are born of God. We can not sin wilfully^ 
meanly y or maliciously ; and, for sin in no other 
sense, would God throw us out of his kingdom. 
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit 
sin ; for his seed remaineth in him ; and he can 
not sin, because he is born of God." It is con- 



THE KINaDOMS OF OUR LORD. 121 

trary to Ms renewed nature to sin, save 
through ignorance^ weakness of the fleshy and 
the temptations of the devil ; hence he can not 
sin himself out of, but remains in the kingdom 
of God forever and forever — during time and 
throughout boundless eternity. 

This dual kingdom of Christ will know no 
end. It is an everlasting kingdom.'' The im- 
plements of war will all be converted into the 
implements of agriculture: the conquests of 
the world will be made with the weapons of 
truth and love ; the heathen will be given him 
for an inheritance and the uttermost parts of 
the earth for a possession, and the kingdoms of 
this world will all become the kingdoms of our 
Lord and of his Christ. Then cometh the end 
of time, the resurrection of the dead, the 
change of the living, the reunion of the glori- 
fied souls and bodies of the entire membership 
of this dual kingdom, constituting a truer, 
more intimate and glorious union of the visible 
and spiritual in the glorified kingdom, which 
Christ now delivers up to God even the Father : 
and in its glorified state this everlasting king- 
dom sweeps grandly on down through the 
sycles of eternity paralled with a triune God, 
who is all in all. Thus the dual kingdom will 
be lost eternally in the glorified kingdom, where 
all will be happiness and heaven. 



The Father's Kingdom. 

CHAPTEE X. 
The Glorified Church. 



The glorified church will be a grand con- 
summation of the visible and spiritual kingdom 
— a continuation, eternally, of the dual king- 
dom. We have already seen, that Christ's 
everlasting kingdom, after it has attained to 
universal dominion, broken in pieces all other 
kingdoms, and filled the whole earth with its 
glory, is to be submerged^ or lost in the glorified 
kingdom of the Father. After the great re- 
demption work is consummated the kingdom 
of boundless grace will be swallowed up in the 
kingdom of ultimate and eternal glory. 

There will be two component parts in this 
glorified kingdom. The subjects and the place 
occupied. It will be located in heaven. The 
place is already prepared, and spoken of as a 
kingdom. "Come ye blessed of my Father, in- 
herit the Idngdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world.'' This will be the 
king's welcome plaudit to the glorified 
church, when he transfers her from earth to 



TRANSFER OF THE GLORIFIED KINGDOM. 123 

heaven. The judgment passed, "the righteous 
saved, the wicked damned and God's eternal 
government approved," Christ, with the happy 
subjects of this kingdom, and his shining 
retinue of angels, will take up his triumphal 
march across the fields of light toward the 
city of the New Jerusalem. Grand, glorious 
and triumphant indeed will be the transfer of 
this glorified kingdom — the heavenly march of 
this victorious army, as it speeds on in triumph 
over the plains of light toward the Blessed 
City. Listen ! Oh, ye lovers of marshal music, 
to the grand chorus that bows the lofty hea- 
vens, to lend a listening ear to its melting 
strains * * * music, far, sweeter than the cho- 
rus of the morning stars that sang together at 
creation's birth * * * music, tuned to the lay of 
immortal eloquence, and sung, in raptures of 
sweetest melody, as the heavenly hosts sweep 
on triumphantly toward the New Jerusalem — 
Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye lift up, 
ye everlasting doors ; and the King of glory 
shall come in. Who is this King of glory ? in- 
quire the keepers of the gates. The Lord 
strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, 
is the responce. Then the grand chorus 
salutes their ears again — Lift up your heads, O 
ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting 
doors ; and the King of glory shall come in. 



124 heaven's revolutions. 

Who is this King of glory ? The Lord of hosts, 
he is the King of glory. The pearly gates fly 
open, the Conqueror, with his ransomed hosts, 
passes in with triumph : and the inquiry comes. 
Who are these? The answer is given back; 
These are the glorified ones ; they who came 
up through many tribulations have washed 
their robes and made them white in the blood 
of the Lamb. And the Eternal City rings with 
the loud hosannahs and sweet halleluiahs of 
welcome to the King and his victorious 
army — the subjects of the glorified kingdom. 

This glorified kingdom will know no sin ; no 
death. Heaven, with all its lovliness, once 
had its revolutions ; with all its enjoyment, once 
knew discontent ; with all its harmony, once 
felt the dire effects of rebellion. But the 
sound of war will be heard no more in all the 
vast dominions of this glorified kingdom. Sin 
and death will never more make their inroads 
upon the happy subjects of this sinless and 
immortalized kingdom. Sin is the source of 
all our misery — ^the barrier to universal hap- 
piness. It is the author of all our delusive 
hopes, and hails with delight our sadest dis- 
appointments. Every arriving moment comes 
ladened with trouble, affliction, bereavement 
and death, all in consequence of sin. Inherit- 
ance ? Sin has none. It is a worthless vaga- 



SIN THE DEADLY UPAS TREE. 125 

bond, crouching and cowering beneath the lash 
of divine justice, and is doomed to eternal 
bankruptcy. It has no reward for its servants, 
save the pleasures of sin for a season, and in 
the end eternal death. "For the wages of sin 
is death.'' We do not hesitate to stigmatize 
sin as the deadly upas tree of the world, that 
has thrown its withering^ Hasting^ ilacTceningj 
damning shadows over all the nations of the 
earth, until the world travailleth in pain even 
tUlnow; and her sons and daughters every- 
where are groaning under the burden of guilt, 
misery and woe, a dire legacy to them by sin 
bequeathed. Happy day! glorious kingdom! 
that will deliver us, once and forever j from the 
reign of sin and the dominion of death. 

This glorified kingdom wUl be one of truth 
and love : a kingdom of perfect order, peace, 
knowledge, and righteousness, where count- 
less millions of glorified ones will live eternally 
without sin. It will be a vast and glorious em- 
pire, where happy millions wUl live in perfect 
obedience to their King, to whom allegiance is 
infinite delight. There the night of igno- 
rance will cast no withering shadow over happy 
homes ; but the blest inhabitants wiU be robed 
in garments of unfading light, bask in the sun- 
shine of its glory and enjoy its boundless 
riches forever more. Thrice happy the sub- 
jects of such a glorious kingdom! 



126 THE KINaDOM OP aLOBY. 

This glorified, will be a kingdom of inconciev- 
able joy and blessedness. It will be a garden of 
pleasures, full of beauty and loveliness. It 
will furnish all that the glorified can possibly 
desire; riches without want, health without 
sickness, pleasure without pain, joy without 
sorrow, light without darkness and life without 
death. Christians will have administered unto 
them, either a meager, or an abundant entrance 
into this everlasting kingdom of the Father. 
We will enter either with a starless, or a star- 
bespangled crown into the kingdom of ultimate 
glory. Every capacity will be full to overflow- 
ing however ; and every child of the kingdom 
perfect in his sphere. "Then shall the right- 
eous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of 
their Father, and they that turn many to right- 
eousness, as the stars forever and ever." We 
know, comparatively speaking, but little either 
of the employment, or blessedness, of the sub- 
jects of this glorified kingdom. But the Scrip- 
tures abound in the most beautiful and impres- 
sive images that nature and art could possibly 
furnish, to illustrate its happiness and prove 
its divine reality. They speak of this kingdom 
as an endless inheritance — a better country, 
flowing with rivers of pleasure, shaded by trees 
of life, full of rapturous songs and rich with 
robes and crowns, feasting mirth, treasures 



FROM aLOBY TO GLORY. 127 

and eternal triumphs. They teach us that the 
righteous shall actually appear, in this king- 
dom, in Ohrist^s glory— with bodies like unto 
his glorified body, and there dwell forever in 
the wholly reconciled presence of the Father. 
But the half has not been told. Eor eye hath 
not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered 
into the heart of man to concieve of the un- 
speaJcable joy and eternal blessedness that awaits 
his glorified children, in the Father's kingdom. 
This glorified, will be a kingdom of boundless 
and endless glory. The visible kingdom was 
glorious; the dual kingdom excelled in glory ; 
but the glorified Mngdom will be full of infinite 
and eternal glory : Its happy subjects will be 
changed from glory to glory ^ in the image of the 
Lord, until they have fully realized the far 
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ^ to be 
found and enjoyed in the Father's kingdom of 
ultimate and eternal glory. In this glorious 
kingdom heart will answer to heart, in the 
sweetest responses of love, and the dearest 
interests and most sacred associations, gather 
around an immortal life, that runs parallel with 
God and eternity. Here countless millions of 
happy children will love the same kind, heav- 
enly Father, receive from his bountiful hand 
the same needed blessings and share through 
all eternity the same rich and glorious inherit* 



128 BLESSED KINGDOM, 

ance. Blessed kingdom! where sickness will 
never come, painful partings will be known no 
more, but in which all the great family of the 
Father shall live on and on through the long 
cycles of eternity, in all the bloom and vigor 
of immortal youth. 

Dear reader, in Christ, this kingdom so greatj 
80 beautiful^ so good and so full of infinite 
and eternal glory, is to be our kingdom. And 
we imagine there will be great joy, boundless 
glory, that multiplied millions of happy voices 
will unite in a mighty song of triumph, that will 
roll in undying anthems around the eternal 
throne, when all of his dear glorified children 
are forever housed In the Father's kingdom. 




REMARKS. 

First. We sold two hundred copies of this little 
book before it left the press. 

Second. It sells itself. Its title, size, style and price 
will sell it anywhere. 

Third, Price, in leatherette binding, iwenty-flve 
cents ; in substantial cloth binding, fifty cents ; in the 
most handsome morocco binding, gilt-edged, one dollar 
per copy. 

Fourth, On all orders, amounting to over one dollar, 
we will give a reduction of twenty-five per cent. 

Fifth. All orders addressed, at any time, to the 
author. Rev. L. McWherter, Union City, Tenn., will 
reach him and be filled promptly. 



ERRATA, 



Page 13. "Penticost" should read, Pentecost. 
Page 14. **Penticost" should read, Pentecost. 
Page 21. *'In order to," should be omitted. 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER. PAGE. 

I. The Origin of the Visible Church. 1 

II. The Identity of the Visible Church. 13 

III. The Identity of the Visible Church. 25 

IV. The Perpetuity of the Visible 

Church 37 

V. The Ordinances of the Visible 

Kingdom • 49 

VI. The Design of Water Baptism. 60 

VII. The Mode of Water Baptism. 75 

VIII. The Subjects of Water Baptism. 94 
IX- The Spiritual Church. 112 
X. The Glorified Church. 122 



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